A digital commonplace for a Regular Guy called Charlie Pharis
Perhaps Barbra said it best…
On a clear day…
You can see forever…
And ever…
And ever…
And ever more. . .
It’s a clear day in Cherokee County today. And it’s been an unusually clear day for me. Ever have one of those days when it just seems you can see stuff you’ve been missing? When you get a lot done with unusual productivity? When your work is a joy? Just like that…that’s what I’m enjoying today! Maybe more to come later…
Stay tuned…more details to come…
Well, we got “The Boy” moved and enrolled in school in “The ‘Boro” yesterday. A few things about that trip…
I’m tired, but I can’t go to sleep…for the second night in a row!
Last night (this morning), I hit the sack around 12:15 a.m. I had just dozed off when the phone rang. It was the alarm company alerting me to an “incident” at our church. The conversation went something like this…
Of course, when Cherokee County’s Finest arrived, we scoped out the place and found nothing out of the ordinary. I piddled around a bit and came back home. Here’s where the sleepless night took a turn for the weird…
I got back in the bed, and had just gotten to sleep again, around 2:30 a.m. The phone rang again. And this is what ensued…
Well, at that point, the sleep was gone, so I just got up. I paid for it all day today, and it looks like I’ll be up again tonight. Call me if you’re up and can’t sleep. Unless you’re employed by the alarm company from four years ago…then don’t bother…
I mean, EVERYONE!
Let’s just say that if someone had told me 18 months ago what I found out today, I would have laughed ’til I cried…or ’til I died, one or the other!
More details to come later!
First, let me say that I was not able to find an old, abandoned, ratty, never-wanted-again rocking chair. I found a brand-new, ratty, why-would-I-want-one rocking chair. But I wasn’t going to spend 80 bucks for it.
Especially since I intended to smash it to smithereens with a sledge hammer in the middle of our morning worship service today.
So I managed to pilfer a rocking chair from our nursery before the service started. A great squeaky, creaky rocking chair. And as it turned out, the fact that our people thought I was about to smash it to smithereens with a sledge hammer was probably more effective than if I had actually done it!
For the record, we’re working our way through Joshua, and today’s talk was on Caleb, and it was called “No More Rocking Chairs,” and it challenged me more than it did my people. Go figure…
(The talk also included a quote from Shelley Winters about nudity on stage, some condescending quotes about older people from some of our local civic leaders, President Reagan’s diary, Roger Clemens, and a double-dog dare. Who said “traditional” churches aren’t any fun?)
I’m still looking for that rocking chair, BTW…
(No, son…you cannot “jack one” from your school. They will miss it, and will probably track it down. They can’t keep your air running, and they won’t feed you dinner, but they’ve probably got ways of tracking old worn-out rocking chairs!)
Yesterday one of our folks approached me after our service and said something about how much she appreciated my message and the way I always say something “to make her think.”
After reading Acts 2 this morning, I’m praying that I’ll never again be satisfied with just “making people think.”
Nope, I want to be the kind of communicator that challenges people’s thinking and inspires them to do something with their changed minds!
When Peter – an untrained, unskilled orator – stood up in God’s power, he challenged the people’s thinking. But he also gave them something tangible and concrete to do. And he inspired them to take action. What kind of action?
Not-yet-believers crossed the line of faith. “Good” people became God’s people. Scattered people became fellowshipping people. Cynical, jaded, discouraged people became wondering, awe-filled people. Stingy people became sharing people. Consuming people became contributing people. Isolated people became belonging people.
Make ’em think? Nope, not good enough any more!
God, let me communicate in ways that give You a platform , a launching pad, to change lives!
David had The Three. He had The Thirty.
Men of great courage. Men of great loyalty – to God and to David personally. Men who were not afraid and who did not back down in the face of great adversity. Men who were used by God – and inspired by David – to undertake great exploits and achieve great things. Men who were willing to face overwhelming odds and impossible situations. Leaders in their own right – who subjugated their own sense of pride and ego for the cause of the king – and The King.
Everybody needs some guys like that in their lives. Guys who have your back. Guys who use whatever they have to win great victories. Guys who’ll stand in the lentil field – alone, if necessary – until the enemy is vanquished. Guys who’ll wield their sword until they can’t lift it – and win the battle. Guys who’ll charge through enemy strongholds to bring back a drink of water.
I wonder if I could ever inspire such a group of men. I’m wondering today if I’m really supposed be one of such a group of men. One of “The Guys,” and not “The Man”…
I mean one you don’t want. One that you absolutely don’t care about ever seeing again. The rattier the better. If you do, and you’re close by, I’ll take it off your hands if I can get it by June 8 or 9. Just wondering…