"Visit to the Holy Land"

My first visit to the Holy Land was in 1964. I know, that sounds like ancient history. Fortunately, I have made many such trips since. What has it done for me? When I read the Bible I can visualize all those geographical settings and names. There are over twenty-five thousand sites mentioned in the Bible that archeologists have explored. My visits to Jordan and Israel have made the Scriptures credible. Names like the Jordan River, Tiberias, Sea of Galilee, Jericho, Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, Masada, Qumrum, the Mount of Olives, Gethsemane, and Bethlehem all come alive.

No, I am not leading a Holy Land trip this year. However, my Presbyterian pastor friend, Dr. Jay Coker, Interim Pastor at Mallard Creek Presbyterian, is! He has led numerous tours of the Holy Land. This is a first-class trip, November 27 through December 6, 2017.  If you are interested, I can assure you Jay (910-818-9535) or his wife, Sharon (910-309-0177), can give you the details. I recommend these folks to you without any hesitation.

This educational tour will be loaded with inspiration as well. This adventure is worthy of your consideration. If this is on your bucket list, check it out!

Blessings!

"The Skill of Curiosity"

Korn Ferry is a huge job placement firm. We call them “Head Hunters”. Korn Ferry has over 7,000 employees in 50 countries. In other words, when it comes to hiring people, they know what they are talking about.

A college degree or an advanced degree is a must to succeed in our culture. Science, engineering, or math degrees are tickets to opportunity. A degree in philosophy may affirm that a person is intelligent and articulate but they will find a cool reception from the job market. The work force is specialized and becoming more so almost daily. Digital skills are of primary importance, not philosophy.

For a person to succeed in our economy, what is the most important skill? According to Korn Ferry, it’s curiosity. The sophisticated crowd calls it “learning agility”. It is characterized as an insatiable appetite to discover, learn and broaden one’s cultural menu. The hirers say that the number one predictor of success is learning agility. How fascinated is this person with broadening their perspective on life? Curiosity is a huge asset. The hard skills are a must. They too change and evolve.

The reality is that curiosity will enable the next big thing. Curiosity about the meaning of life is part of our challenge too. The Psalmist said, “O taste and see that the Lord is good.”

Blessings,

"Live A Life of Integrity"

Warren Buffet said this to all of us in leadership roles: “Leaders must have integrity, intelligence, and energy. Without integrity and intelligence, energy is useless!”

To live a life of integrity you live not by default but by design. For the Christians, that design is set out in Proverbs 3: 5-6; “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

To be a leader, you are sensitized to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. You stop thinking about what you can achieve and instead think about what you can contribute. I enjoy the word “imperturbability”. What does it mean? Grace under pressure. When stress rushes in, my prayer is that I can exhibit something of God’s grace. Practicing the Christian faith is always a mixture of grit and grace. Grit is that tenacity that outweighs the adversity in which I find myself immersed.

When I make a time commitment, I try hard to be on time, start on time, and end on time. I believe that too is an expression of integrity. Pastors attend hundreds of meetings ever year. Integrity surfaces in how we use our time. There are 168 hours in every week. The Bible says we are to redeem the time. Most of us spend upwards of forty hours a week in front of a screen of some kind. By any stretch of the imagination can we label screen time as redeeming the time? There are ninety-six fifteen minute blocks in every day. I try not to waste fifteen minutes at any time during my waking hours.  Time is not only a precious commodity but also a gift of God.

Hopefully, integrity shines through in our stewardship, work ethic, worship, compassion, and expressions of forgiveness. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”  The Bible does not say pick one! As Christians, we are to exhibit all nine of the characteristics of the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

Blessings!

"What is Your Favorite Psalm?"

He looked me in the eye and said, “So, you’re a preacher. What is your favorite Psalm?”  Fortunately, I didn’t blink. I fired back, “Psalm 8.”  Naturally, his next question was, “Why?”

As I grow older, I am cognizant that I no longer pursue the fast lane the way I once did. Psalm 8 speaks to the value God places on us no matter our stage in life. This Psalm starts and ends with the same affirmation: “O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth.” David uses “our” instead of “my”. He speaks on our behalf.  I love his use of the word “majestic”, meaning great and high. God is no tribal deity but the Lord of all.

David draws a stark contrast between all of creation with its wonder and the vulnerability of humankind. “What are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?”  Is the author really suggesting that Almighty God actually cares for us and pays attention to us?  Surely, running the universe is all-consuming. Yet, the Word of God says we are not forgotten, not ignored, and not overlooked.

Psalm 8 puts life in proper perspective for me. It is humbling to imagine that the Lord of life actually knows me and loves me. When we pray, God actually listens. Our cries for help do not arrive to the Lord’s ear as irritants!

I see God’s grace in Psalm 8. Grace is God’s unconditional love for those who don’t deserve it. This Psalm is a promise that God’s grace in Jesus Christ is always greater than our need.

Blessings!