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At Christmas, we celebrate the greatest gift God could give – God showed up.

This Christmas, don’t just buy something, give those you love your attention.

Be near.

Be kind.

Be loving.

And most of all… Be Present.

My favorite Pat McLaughlin quotes…

When asked to sing at church, “I don’t know any sacred songs. Well… perhaps they’re all sacred songs.”

After I finished worship, “That’s the best #*^##* sermon I ever heard.”

This song is not a carol, and it won’t ever be in a hymnbook, but it brings me joy inside. Shouldn’t all Christmas gifts bring us joy inside? With that intention, have a Funky Christmas. (Merry Christmas, McLaughlin Family. Missed you at Thanksgiving.)

Don’t know what to get your music lover for Christmas? Support quality song writing in Nashville and have yourself a funky Christmas.  http://www.patmclaughlin.com/

and she took the babe, wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger… Luke 2

How did we travel so far away?

My wonderful friend, Etta Britt, has a book coming out in the next few weeks. For those who have heard her life revealed in her songs like Quiet House and others, in this book she shares her soul from which her music comes. My connection with Etta Britt is so strong that at times I cannot tell if she is singing my sermons or if I’m preaching her songs – like this one, I Believe. 

It’s just a matter of time,
we’re gonna wake up to find.
This world is moving so fast
every moment, make it last.
When you give hope then you’ll see,
love is all we need to believe.
A touch of a hand, one smile
make someone ‘s life worthwhile
I believe…

Continue reading “Backroads & Spotlights”

Moments Are More Than Minutes
When we reflect on our lives, we realize the difference between time measured and time experienced. We ask so often, “What time is it?” when the more important question for life is, “What kind of time is it?”
So far, we’ve noted there is time measured (minutes) and there is time experienced (moments). Before we look deeper into types of time across languages and cultures, let me simply set forth this contrast of moments to minutes.
Minutes are measurements of time.
Moments are experiences that transcend time.
Minutes are time at its worst.
Moments are life at its fullest.
Continue reading “Moments Not Minutes”

When the authors of the Bible, especially the gospels, want to tell you something about a person, they speak less about who or what they are and point to where they are. Consider the Bible characters and what you know about their locations. The major characters have tell-tale locations: Zacchaeus up a tree (Luke 19), the demoniac in the tombs (Mark 5), the lepers on the outside of town (Luke 17), the woman at the well in the middle of the day (John 4), Nicodemus who comes at night (John 3), Herod in Jerusalem (Matthew 2), Lazarus in his tomb (John 11), the disciples behind locked doors (John 20), Thomas away from the other disciples (John 20), Peter and the other disciples returning to their boats (John 21). The list is not all-inclusive but enough to illustrate how the gospels use locations to tell us about people and how Jesus paid attention to location noting not only where people were but where they were relative to others. For example, it is not just that Zacchaeus is up a tree, but he is up a tree away from the others.
Continue reading “Where are you? Where are you going? The key to relationships…”

Matthew 25:³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, ³³ and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left.
³⁴ Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; ³⁵ for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶ I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’
³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? ³⁸ And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? ³⁹ And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’
⁴⁰ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’
⁴¹ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; ⁴² for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’
⁴⁴ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ ⁴⁵ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ ⁴⁶ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Both groups are shocked.
The sheep, through their surprise, also exhibit their attitude toward others. Again, with emphasis for understanding, the Son of Man says to them, I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶ I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ In their surprise, they respond, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? ³⁸ And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? ³⁹ And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ ⁴⁰ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’
The sheep acted. The sheep helped others. Their action was also, like the goats, rooted in their perspective. Sheep have a different mindset from goats in the parable. Whereas the goats perceived the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick or the prisoner as other, as them, the sheep didn’t. The sheep saw no others, no less than, no them, just us. The difference wasn’t in value but need. Whereas the goats had a dualistic mindset of us and them, for the sheep, there was simply us. Surely there were people in need and people who weren’t, but there was no distinction of in and out. Jesus hints at this difference between the two groups in their judgment. To the sheep, the Son of Man calls the least of these who are members of my family, and for the goats, they are simply referred to as the least of these without the family marker. Make no mistake, the sheep aren’t doing charity by helping those in need, they are simply helping out other members of their “family.” They did not see any distinction. Just us. Continue reading “Hyponyms – Beyond Synonyms and Antonyms – Beyond Us and Them”

  What if Jesus came back today, what would you say?
On my last two trips to Haiti, I’ve worked with Pastor Bob LeFranc, affectionately, ‘Pastor Bob’. He and I have an ongoing disagreement. Bob thinks Jesus is coming back very soon to judge the world, very soon, as in, tomorrow if not before. My point in our debate is this, for two thousand years people have been saying the same thing, “Jesus is coming soon!” For two thousand years, as far as I can tell, they’ve been mistaken. This statement has also used to let those with wealth and relative prosperity to continue to rest on our laurels while others stay in poverty.
Pastor Bob and I do not continue this discussion very long when in Haiti, unless stuck in Port Au Prince traffic. On this past trip to Haiti, after meeting a couple of new partners and seeing their orphanages, schools, and children’s homes, I told Bob, “With so much to do, if Jesus comes back today, we’ll have to tell him to come back later because we are busy.” Do you feel like that most days of the week? Do you feel like you’re part of something that is changing the world and you just need more time to make the world a better place, more like the kingdom of God?
In 1986, a Gallup survey showed that, for the first time in decades, more people in the United States thought that their children would grow up to find a world in worse shape than the world they grew up in. This perspective is not what I found in Haiti. Each person we talked with had a vision for him or herself and for Haiti, including our group.
When we said, “Goodbye for a while,” to the children of Bon Samaritan Orphanage, Abbie told me that she was happy with me and mad at me. “Mad at me?” I asked. “Yes,” she admitted, “Glad that you brought me here and mad that you are making me leave.”
When will we go back? I don’t know. The rebellion of a daughter that wants to go back to work with children in Haiti is a rebellion, that I believe, that can change the world. I believe the transformation can be so great in Haiti and beyond that Jesus, even if he is coming back soon, will say to others in heaven, “Let’s watch this and see what happens!”
So, how did you feel when you got up this morning? What would you say if Jesus came back today? What vision of the world are you working toward?
See how you can join in our effort by checking out www.nochildhungry.net

For independent authors and other artists, books, songs, and even some movies rise to the surface because someone cares enough to share. If you have a book you love or a singer or band you enjoy, write a review to share their art with others. Reviews on Amazon, ITunes, or Google Play are all helpful. The review also gives the artists feedback on how his or her work connects with others. Care enough to share!
If you’re willing to write a review on one of my books, then click the following link:  http://amazon.com/author/dwjones. Thanks for your help.

 When I was a child, “organic” just wasn’t part of my vocabulary. I don’t recall ever hearing it except as a form of chemistry in college. Since I avoided all classes of chemistry, organic seemed no different than any other. I would not have imagined there could be organic sections of a grocery store, that some vegetables could be organic, and others, by default, inorganic.
Since organic seems to be a category now popular in many areas of life, what about Christianity? Can there be such a thing?
Well, upon some reflection, I think Charles Darwin pointed the church toward Organic Christianity.
Below is a section from an article I have coming out in the May edition of SciTech that I’ll provide a link to when it is released. It is based on a chapter from my book, Out of The Crowd. The title of the article is Darwin’s Gift.

Continue reading “Organic Christianity”

As I pray and prepare for a Good Friday Sermon, a Sunrise Easter Sermon, and an Easter Sermon, I can’t help but think of my favorite Easter sermon. I’m glad to see Tony Campolo is still telling about it. He preaches a sermon about his pastor preaching, and it is still tremendously moving! Anytime there is Friday, I remember Sunday’s coming!

I began 2015 with this vision. While riding my bike on the edge of Orange County, I saw this eagle. It is neither easy to sneak up on an eagle while on a bicycle nor capture a picture of the sky king. 
Closer to the city, I found other birds much more complicit in my picture taking. Almost posing, they allowed me to take several.
The contrast in images and in birds was clear asking me, “In 2015 will you soar like an eagle reaching high for all God has to offer or be content like a crane, only flying stretching your wings when absolutely necessary?”
I remembered the promise of Isaiah 40,

Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted;
31 but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
I vowed to take the eagle as my example and sang out the words of Steve Miller, dooo dooo dooo dooo, I want to fly like an eagle.

A similar contrast and challenge is in the story of the Magi coming up for Epiphany Sunday presented clearly in the difference between the approach to life and God by Herod and the citizens of the city of Jerusalem and the Magi in Matthew 2,
2 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, ² asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” ³ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; ⁴ and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.⁵ They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
⁶ ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’”
⁷ Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. ⁸ Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” ⁹ When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was.¹⁰ When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. ¹¹ On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. ¹² And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Herod and Jerusalem lived in a culture known for their traditions, titles, and luxuries, valuing stability and security over stars and adventure. For them the poverty of some was a prerequisite for the palaces of others. In contrast, for the magi, the world was their home, their life was in the skies where stars shined, God spoke, and Messiahs could be found anywhere. They were not known by their titles but their gifts. They were not characterized by their comforts but their visions and their journeys. Treasures were for sharing, not protecting. They were like eagles, not cranes stuck to the ground, but flying to the skies of God’s heavens.
Two clear images. Which will you choose? Who will be your role model in 2015?

The traditional translation of Proverbs 13:24 is, “Spare the rod and spoil the child.” This interpretation has been used to support taking a paddle, rod, belt, or ruler to your child when he or she needs to be kept in line. I think the more accurate interpretation is from the shepherd’s perspective as the rod was not a whipping tool but a shepherds standard used to measure the height of a sheep. In this image, we spoil children when we don’t raise a rod of a high standard for them to achieve.

For my son Nathan, the rod has been set by his coaches. Kevin Morriello has worked with Nathan for several years starting when Kevin was in college studying to be a P.E. teacher and coach. Kevin created the Shoten Ninja Academy, or what we called Ninja Training, or simply Ninjas. Though it sounds like a martial arts class, it was class in physical training challenging each student to explore the heights of what he or she can attain physically through games and exercises pushing their own personal limits to a standard higher than they, or their parents, thought them capable of doing toppling their own records and the records of the class participants.

Compared to Nathan, Kevin is a giant of a man. He is huge from Nathan’s perspective, the size of a bear, with a heart as big as one. When Kevin became a coach at Battle Ground Academy, even though Nathan doesn’t attend the school, Kevin let him be a leader with younger children as Kevin’s aid, and he let Nathan be a student training with the high school athletes and sitting on the bench during their matches. Kevin certainly set the bar high as an example for Nathan on so much more than being an athlete, but being a man and a person of character and honor. Even though Nathan’s time of training as a Ninja with Kevin has come to an end, Kevin has set the standard high for Nathan in who he can be and become.

At Nathan’s school, Grassland Middle School, Coach Gil Filbey has the unique distinction of being the only person I know in Nathan’s life who can yell at him like a Marine Sergeant and Nate takes it as a compliment. If I or any other person were to yell at Nate like his wrestling coach, he’d melt, sure he’d done something wrong. I’ve seen Gil bark out at Nate during a match and Nathan turn and simply nod to say, ‘Okay, Coach.’ When Gil shouts out an instruction or a simple, “Come on, Nathan!” my son hears the vision and belief Gil has of Nate’s potential to do and be better. At the beginning of Nate’s first wrestling season last year I heard one of the most challenging lines for both parent and son, “We believe your child can grow up to be president or anything else they want to be. But we also assure you that if he wants to be a wrestler, it won’t just take growing up, but a lot of work.” At the end of the season, Coach Gil disclosed the secret goal of the wrestling program, to help the boys to grow up into men of character. Though the wrestling season is far too short for all Nathan receives from being a member of Gil’s team, the benefit is one he will carry with him as he the rest of our family joins me in Orlando in December.

Years ago, Charles Horton Cooley defined the Psychology of The Looking Glass Self, that our self-image and sense of personal worth comes from what we believe the important people in our lives believe about us. They serve as our mirrors. In 1 Samuel 16, Samuel the Priest of Israel went out to the farm of a man named Jesse. Jesse’s youngest son was the runt of the litter, but Samuel saw the boy David through God’s eyes. God had set high the rod, and Samuel anointed the boy giving the message, “You’ll do great things.” David went onto face giants and become one of the most famous leaders in the Bible turning to God through triumph and tragedy. I give thanks for Kevin, Gil, and those who did for them what they are doing for my son, anointing him as Samuel anointed David, seeing him through God’s eyes, raising high the bar for who he can be and become.

When you count your many blessings and name them one by one, give thanks for those who have not spared the rod but raised it high in your life and the lives of other people important to you as Nathan is to me.

I uploaded two sermons to my podcast today which tie together nicely. The first looks at the mass of people Abbie, Nathan, and I experienced at Universal Studios in Florida.
We thought it a wonderful idea to spend their last days of Summer at Universal Studios. The challenge was, lots of other people had the same idea! This experience aided my sermon in Kissimmee, Florida on how we are, as Jesus observed, like sheep without a shepherd.

The companion sermon is from Orlando Presbyterian Church as part of a series on The Sermon on The Mount. During these famous verses, Jesus challenges his hearers then and now, Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15 No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

To listen to these two sermons and explore how you can live Out of The Crowd, like a sheep following the shepherd, letting your light shine, click on one of the links below:

You can hear or download these two sermons at my podcast site: http://davidwjones.podomatic.com/
or on ITUNES: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/david-w.-jones-podcast/id597879836?mt=2

A little over a week ago, I preached my first sermon as Pastor of Orlando Presbyterian Church.
I was a little nervous and worked diligently to choose the best words I could find to begin my time in Orlando and try to communicate with my new congregation. I chose these words…

   Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you’d expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn’t hold with such nonsense.

Those are, of course, the first words of the first book in the Harry Potter  series. I thought those words authored by J.K. Rowling had worked well for her, so I thought they would work well for me and mine as well. Continue reading “Don’t Be a Dursley”

From Moses and Mickey Mouse – How to Find Holy Ground in the Magic Kingdom and Other Unusual Places  – recently re-released.
As soon as the school calendar paroled my children: Cayla, the eldest, fourteen; Abbie, nine; Nathan, seven; and our nephew, Jared, twelve, we packed ourselves into the van along with a sizeable portion of our belongings and headed to Florida for several days at Disney World. It turned out quite a few other people had the same idea.
As I moved through the masses of the different parks, I was amazed at just how many people were there. I did quite a few genetic observations while people watching, “So, this man and this woman produce these offspring. Fascinating.” Or, “Wow, you picked him for a mate. Was there alcohol involved?”
Then I asked myself, “Why do so many people come to Disney World again and again, bearing the cost, the hot Florida sun, the miles to get here, the congestion?” The answer seemed and still seems obvious – wonder, collective, shared, wonder.
Wonder is the Holy Grail of the Magic Kingdom, draped in a surprise, a thrill, nostalgia, or sweet sentiment. Whatever the form, Disney packages wonder, and our hunger for wonder draws Disney lovers from across the globe, into the parking lots, on the trams, through the gates, in lines, and on ride after ride.
I experienced that wonder on our trip to the Magic Kingdom. The rides and my children showed me the way, especially on my favorite ride, Peter Pan.
Peter Pan called out, “Here we go!” as our pirate ship left the boarding station with the long line of people behind us. Abbie yelled, “We’re flying!”
We sailed into the bedroom of Wendy, John, and Michael Darling
“We’re flying! Dad, how do they do this?” Abbie asked.
I started to answer, my hand pointed up at the rail above our heads, which attached ship to ceiling track, but I resisted, certain she’d figure the mechanics out soon enough. She did. She looked up on her own, saw the rail, but chose to ignore it as we flew like Peter, Wendy, John, and Michael, sprinkled with pixie dust, thinking our happy thoughts, through the bedroom window and into the night sky.
“It’s London!” Abbie squealed as we sailed around Big Ben.
“The cars!” she cried out pointing to pairs of lights moving along dark stripes on the floor.
I looked. I saw. The dark stripes became roads and the pairs of lights became headlamps. My daughter spoke. I heard her voice. And I believed.
She did for me what Peter did in the book, the movie, and the ride. She took this aging child, struggling to find his imagination, and gave me wonder. She took this land-locked, bed-bound child, and helped me fly.
By the end of the ride, with her as my guide, I heard the tick-tock of the pirate-hungry crock, fought with Hook, ran with Smee, danced with Tiger Lilly, and swam with mermaids. I was young again; I was amazed; I was flying.
Like my daughter, I saw the rail but chose to ignore it. We were flying. With her, I was sky high, and it was wonderful. Continue reading “The Power of Imagination”