FORGIVENESS In the Babemba tribes of southern Africa, when a person acts irresponsibly or unjustly -- they are placed in the center of the village, alone and unfettered. All work ceases, and every man, woman,…
Sermon Illustrations
SURVIVING CRITICISM Tom Wolfe is the well known author of The Right Stuff. (About the astronauts) and a number of other popular topics. He has written articles that have assaulted our current culture. After one…
LIBERATION -- A NEW DEFINITION In writing about Tom Peters, co-author with Robert Waterman of the best-seller In Search of Excellence. (1.4 million copies in hardcover, 2.3 million in paperback), Edward O. Welles observes: Peters…
TO FORGIVE OR NOT TO FORGIVE "Forgiveness to the injured doth belong." These are the words of the poet, John Dryden. Simon Wiesenthal, a prisoner and survivor of the Nazi concentration camps, tells the story…
A RATHER TENUOUS FORGIVENESS The little boy said "Look, there is a bear in our back yard!" His mother looked outside and said, "That's not a bear. It's Joe Smith's dog. Now you go to…
FORGIVING GOD For some people the greatest need is to forgive God. There are things that happen in life for which we hold God responsible. It is not always proper to reason whether or not…
FORGIVE AND FORGET In Charles Bracelen Flood's book Lee: The Last Years, he tells of a time after the Civil War when Robert E. Lee visited a Kentucky woman who took him to the remains…
FORGIVENESS IS Forgiveness is the wind-blown bud which blooms in placid beauty at Verdun. Forgiveness is the tiny slate-gray sparrow which has built its nest of twigs and string among the shards of glass upon…
CULTURAL MIS-COMMUNICATIONS It's hard enough to communicate clearly in our own language and in our own culture. When we interface with other cultures the problem is compounded. Ada Lum shares some of her experiences in…
PROFESSIONAL DEMEANOR REQUIRED There was this young priest who was going to confessional for the first time. He went with another priest, his senior. After a day of hearing confessions he was approached by the…
COMMUNICATION The mother was waiting for the butcher, who was late. This was back in the days when butchers made house calls. She told Johnny, "I'm going upstairs, if the butcher comes, let me know.…
EXCUSES -- PARENT/KID VARIETY If a child is missing from school most school districts require a written report to the teacher explaining the reason for the absence. Here's a few delightful ones. You could also…
MAKING MONEY If you make money at poker, that's gambling. If you make it playing bridge, it's a social activity. If you make it outguessing the commodities, that's a miracle. Funny, Funny World
RANK IN THE CLERGY In case you don't think rank still exists about various members of the clergy -- consider this true story that came from a former staff member of the large Lexington Chapel…
THE GREAT VALUE OF BOOKS Commenting on II Timothy 4:13, where Paul asks Timothy to bring him a cloak, books and the parchments, Charles Haddon Spurgeon wrote the following words: He is inspired, yet he…
MORE ABOUT BOOKS In 1814 the Methodists in Australia sent an urgent appeal to the Methodist Missionary Society in London: "Send us a preacher. Send a faithful servant of the Lord to us. Disappoint us…
A PLAN DEFICIENT FOR THE PRESENT I found these two interesting quotes from the life of Barbara Jordan, prominent Black Congresswoman from the South, nationally known through her powerful keynote speech at the Democratic National…
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE Also from the Jordan autobiography: My father at that time was definitely not pleased with me. I remember that. We did not see eye to eye on anything. He felt called upon to…
MODERN LIFE -- THE COMPUTER AGE I read a review of a book entitled The Policeman's Beard is Half Constructed (Warner Books, New York, 1984). It is a book that was written by a computer…
REALLY GOOD NEIGHBORS When preaching on the story of the Good Samaritan, and illustrating the idea of proving to be a good neighbor, you might consider the following story from the early days of the…
