'Parking Lot Picnics' Tagged Posts
MAY 24, 2023
Dear Friends, Have you ever stopped to think about what you’re really praying when you pray “forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors?” You might want to pause for a minute and ask yourself if you really want to pray that familiar petition from the Lord’s Prayer. When you do, you’re asking God to forgive you in the same way that you forgive everyone who has sinned against you. Augustine called this “the terrible petition.” He said if we pray this…
August 2, 2022
Dear Friends, You know you’re an apostle, right? I didn’t say Apostle. I said apostle. The punctuation matters here. As I read the New Testament, I see Jesus regularly sending out those who follow him. He sends them into cities and villages to share the good news of the Kingdom. And of course, the last thing he tells us is that we are to “go.” Go and make disciples. The word apostle means “sent one.” All who follow Jesus are sent. So using my old high…
July 27, 2022
Dear Friends, There is an interesting story in Luke’s gospel that sounds like it could have happened two days ago somewhere in the US. In the account in Luke 9, we read that Jesus had “set his face to go to Jerusalem.” This is the point in the gospel account where everything begins to point to the cross. Jesus is on mission and will not be deterred. Luke says Jesus sent an advance team of disciples ahead of him into a Samaritan village…
JUNE 22, 2022
Dear Friends, First things first. Go Omahogs! Looks like they really want it this year. Game time is 3 PM on Thursday. Now, onto weightier matters. As providence would have it, after three months of reciting the Lord’s Prayer in our Sunday morning worship services, and after looking at the Lord’s Prayer in Luke 11, along with the parable that follows it, this was on my Twitter feed on Monday morning this week. Author and speaker Blair Linne posted it, along with the…
June 1, 2021
Dear Friends, Yes, I know it’s a day early. But I wanted to make sure you knew that our parking lot picnic is on, rain or shine (we’ve paid for the Taco Truck, so there’s that…). If it’s shine, great. We go with Plan A. Tacos. Games for kids. Fellowship. Just as planned. If it’s rain, the Taco Truck will set up in the parking lot. And we’ll set up chairs and tables and space inside for a nice indoor get together. Same food…
May 26, 2021
Dear Friends, With the Memorial Day weekend ahead, I’ve been thinking tonight about where I was on my birthday ten years ago. I had the opportunity to spend the morning that day with a video crew observing and talking to men who are part of the Old Guard – soldiers who are stationed at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. I’ve shared the video with you before, but it’s worth watching again. I was struck as I talked with these men about…
May 12, 2012
Dear Friends, One of my all time favorite online videos is this classic from Youth Pastor Mark. If you’ve never watched it, it’s worth the click. I thought about the fictional “Pastor Mark” and his perpetual enthusiasm when I met Vince Parker. Vince was my tour guide a few years ago when I had a chance to tour the Hobby Lobby headquarters in Oklahoma City. Vince was in his early 40’s, and you could tell he loved his job. He radiated…