Serve by Design

One of my first articles on this blog site has proven to be one of the most popular. To date, there have been nearly 3,000 pageviews of “Uncle Billy Moments!” It features the absent-minded uncle of George Bailey in the beloved seasonal film favorite, It’s a Wonderful Life . I think the reason we are drawn to Uncle Billy is because he represents the failings of so many of us! We see ourselves in him! When iPhone Meets Car Tires! It's Not Pretty! Well, I had another “Uncle Billy Moment” this past week. I don’t know what it says about me (or maybe, I do!), but it seems I am having these moments more frequently lately. I used to pride myself in being able to multi-task, but the ability to juggle multiple tasks simultaneously is getting harder to achieve with age! Last week was an unusually busy time with a doctor appointment, some Serve by Design consulting, church calls, and visits, preparing for a Sunday small group teaching assignment on top of the regular commitments of blog wri...

The idea of spiritual renewal has been on the minds of many believers in the wake of the recent outbreak of revival on the campus of Asbury University that began February 8th. The Asbury outpouring is still reverberating throughout the community and beyond after two weeks of non-stop prayer meetings that started in an after-chapel prayer service and spontaneously continued on. Photo credit: pixabay.com Driven by social media posts and live streams, estimates are that some 50,000 individuals descended upon the college campus and Willmore, Kentucky, with a population   of only 6,000 residents! Students came from more than 260 colleges and universities to pray alongside those on the Asbury campus. Many of those arriving on the scene were hungry to see what God was doing in that setting and hoping it would be replicated in their lives, churches, and communities. I had "a taste of revival" at the Second Baptist Church of Marion, Illinois in 1972. I was serving on staff as a summ...

This is the season of Lent for churches following the Christian calendar. Our church has been participating in a version of Lent for several years now. There have been times in the past when a guest speaker was invited to lead in revival services for a few days. On most occasions, the pastor has preached special messages on personal renewal to encourage humility, repentance, and selfless service for others during the weeks leading up to Easter. Again this year, we have plans to commemorate the Lord's death on the cross with a Maundy Thursday "Service of Darkness" and observe the Lord's Supper. And of course, we will be rejoicing in the Risen Christ on Easter Sunday morning as worshipers share the Paschal greeting and acclamation, "Christ is risen! He's risen indeed!" These Easter practices are like a spiritual spring cleaning! The "tools" of spring cleaning! My Mother practiced another kind of spring cleaning. It was the literal seasona...