Some things I've been wondering recently . . .


Will the University of North Carolina ever be good at football?

Will Alabama ever be good at basketball?

Why would someone ever smoke in an airplane lavatory?  The signs telling you NOT TO are there because someone TRIED TO, you know.

Why would someone use the word "lavatory" instead of bathroom?

Will January football ever matter in Charlotte, North Carolina?

Do people who use the phrase "thinking outside the box" realize that by using that phrase they are not thinking outside the box?

Do rock stars who rail against corporate greed in their music every think twice about leaving the concert in a stretch limo?

How in the world does Wally Lamb think up all those good novels?

Are we creating the kinds of churches that our grandchildren will never attend?

What would it be like to live in Turks and Caicos?

What difference will it make when the Bobcats become the Hornets?

Why did Jethro Tull actually name a song "Locomotive Breath"?  And what does Locomotive Breath smell like, anyway?

What did I do for nutrition before Reese's invented the Nutrageous bar?

Several weeks ago, Julie and I attended the wedding of a child of a family friend.  The ceremony took place in the same locale as the reception, making for an easy transition between formality and festivity.

It was one of the few weddings these days that I attended without presiding.

And what was striking about the wedding ceremony itself was the fact that neither "God" nor "Jesus" nor the "Spirit" got a single mention.  Zip. Zero. Nada.

No prayers, no Scriptures, no hymns.  I'd never been to a wedding before in which the officiant and the couple so consciously avoided any mention of God.

So after some time pondering that particular wedding, here are my Top Five Reflections On A Wedding Without God:

1.  Integrity.  The now-married couple does not have any religious beliefs and I appreciated how they had the integrity not to have a service that pretended they do.  Having officiated at more than a few weddings in which the bride and groom showed scant evidence of a living Christian faith and yet wanted a "pretty" or "classic" Christian wedding, I found such candor and honesty refreshing.

2.  Simplicity.  When there are no hymns, no Scripture, and no prayers, the service moves much more quickly.  Imagine such simplicity on a Sunday morning!  So we got down to the business of the reception with considerable haste.

3.  Naivete.  While the officiant was not a member of any religious clergy and nor was he a Justice Of The Peace, he nevertheless was licensed to marry people in North Carolina.  As such, he gave a sort of secular homily.  What I noticed most about that talk was his recollection of how he knew the bride and groom were "right" for each other:  "they had the look in their eye."   So the foundation for a lifelong marital commitment is a certain "look in the eye."  Whether you have a religious faith or not, healthy, long-term marriages must be built of more substantial stuff than that -- instead of a "look in the eye" how about unwavering commitment, shared sacrifice, and other-centered love? 

4.  Levity.  When marriage is separated from any sense that "this is God's idea before it is ours," then little mis-steps in the wedding ceremony don't matter as much.  Things did not flow perfectly in the service . . . but no one seemed to mind.

5.  Flexibility.  As soon as the service was completed, the officiant changed roles and became the DJ for the reception.  No kidding.  The "preacher" turned into the "Spin Master."  That's one double duty I don't think I could pull off in a million years.

We showed this clip of my new favorite commercial yesterday as the sermon began:


Is there any better moment on television than the "Ow!"?  I don't think so!

I moved from there into some ear facts, including the revelation that you get a new ear canal every year -- if  you didn't, you'd have a two foot string hanging out of your ear by the time you turned 20.  Which means for those of you nearing 100, you'd have a ten foot string hanging out your ear.

So, thank God for our annual ear canal.

All of that was to prepare us for the truth that when it comes to communication, ears have to be earned. 

Those of us who have a desire to share good news with people who have yet to believe in Jesus are not wise if we blast the truth with no preparation.

And how do we earn ears?

Here's what Jesus says in Matthew 5:14-16:

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Verse 16 is the key:  that they may see your good deeds.  The way many in the church act, Jesus said "that they may see your good billboards."  Or "that they may see your good sermons." 

Nope.  Good deeds.  Evidently, Jesus expects us to show the gospel as preparation for sharing the gospel.

Which landed us yesterday at Colossians 4:5-6 as well:

⁵ Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. ⁶ Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Full of grace.  Seasoned with salt.  Churches and Christians all too often do the reverse, having communication styles with the world that are full of salt and seasoned with just a little bit of grace.  It's why a lot of folks find our message simply not credible.

So the landing spot yesterday?  Earn an ear so you can speak with grace.  That's they way we'll share our faith with not-yet-believers, both as a church and as individuals.  We pray the world sees our efforts with the Hope House, the Charlotte Rescue Mission, Room In The Inn, and a myriad of other "good deeds," and once they see all that, their ears will have been earned.

Which opens up the way for words of grace.  Our own stories being the most powerful words of grace we can offer.  As they say in AA, we tell what we were like, what happened, and what we are like now.

Then we ask, "would you like that resurrection power in your life?"

Ears earned.  Grace spoken.

I think our Man Alive event is a "don't miss" for the fall.

What's the skinny?

Friday, October 18 at 6:30 p.m.

BBQ Dinner in the Corner Campus.

Connect with existing friends in the church and make new ones.

Praise & worship led by our own Joey Hopper.

A life talk from Dave Hickman who is one of the most uniquely compelling speakers I've ever heard.  And I've heard a lot of them.  Here's some of hit story:



David Hickman - Ransom Note from Larissa Miller on Vimeo.

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