Allen's Blog

                                       Are We a Small Church or a Growing Church? All kinds of literature is written about the uniqueness of small churches.  One statistic claims that 90% of all churches in the United States are less than 100 members.  Our Presbytery is sponsoring a music seminar for the challenges that ‘small’ churches face.  There is even a website called Small church.com: “A Big Place for small Churches”. When I was in college I was involved in Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship and we changed the name of our small groups to ‘Action’ groups.  Some see the word ‘small’ as limiting.  Others probably place no value on it…it just is.  Having served in a handful of churches of around 100 members, I have heard other language from members that tells me that they either like their small church or it’s an excuse for not doing more…“We’re just a small country church.”  I have some observations that are just that…my observations.  I would enjoy taking this further and

                                                              How’s Your Vision? I think it’s a miracle that when two people view a rainbow, they see the same thing.  Or we can stand side-by-side and enjoy an amazing sunrise or sunset.  I just watched a documentary on PBS about Yellowstone National Park and to everyone who saw the towering rocks, steaming pools and erupting geysers all agreed that these were marvelous things.  So, why is it when we discuss theology, sociological issues, psychology and so many other things that we come up with different viewpoints?  Is there ever a common denominator to even our differences?  Is there an ultimate right and wrong?  I believe the answer lies in the lenses in which we view the world. Those of us that wear glasses know that the Optician has to grind the lenses to a tolerance of micrometers in order bring our vision back to acceptable levels.  But how is our vision of life formed and why is it different or the same as others?  So many

                                                                                                                                A Moving Experience Tracy and I met on the day she moved in with her roommates.  I was working with Young Life and one of her roommates was the Area Director, so she had leaders and high school kids that she could call on in an instant.  Tracy thought I was one of the kids, but that’s another story.  I have moved many times over the years and a few of those moves have been done by professional movers but most by friends.  Moving is a very stressful experience as so many things need to be considered at once.  Packing up those delicate things, choosing to keep or discard memorabilia, and timing it all so that on moving day everything is ready. Last week Tracy and I helped a friend move.  She had told us that other members of her church would be there to help but it ended up being just me and Tracy.  I murmured to Tracy, “What kind of church says they’ll show up

 If History Was Different How would history have been written if Joseph, remember the one with the multicolor coat, was freed from prison soon after he got there?  He was sold by his brothers and eventually found himself in Egypt where he practiced an uncanny ability to interpret dreams.  For years he languished in a foreign prison and anyone of us would say it would have been better for him to be out of prison rather than in.  What if Daniel, who was thrown into a lion’s den, instead, escaped through a secret passageway?  What if Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had escaped the fiery furnace through the intervention of their friends on the outside?  And don’t forget the Apostle Paul who was shipwrecked, whipped and also put in prison.     None of us would ever wish to be put in such horrible situations and yet, look what God did.  Through Joseph, all of Egypt and the surrounding countries were saved from famine.  Daniel and his friends were witnesses and demonstrated God’s aweso

  The Importance of Money “If we didn’t tithe, give money to the church, and support our missionary friends, we could buy a Hummer.”   That’s what I told my kids several years ago when Hummers were in vogue and we were struggling to make payments on our minivan.   I wanted to make an impression on them that we were sacrificing in order to support God’s work, but that it was a joyful sacrifice as we watched what God would do with our money.   I remember getting my first job out of college in Roanoke at Moore’s Building Supply and I was so proud to be able to pay my own bills and really begin to tithe.   I had grown up in a church that had emphasized the that tithing was a duty but also an expression of thankfulness to God. I felt like it was part of being a mature Christian to be able to say that I was participating fully as a follower of Jesus Christ. Notice I didn’t say that it was part of being a mature adult.   When we would give our children the

  Our Time of Need It is constantly debated how and why bad and difficult things happen to us.   We know we live in an imperfect world.   We know hardship seems to be the norm and yet we are always disappointed when it happens to us.   Someone once said, “Instead of asking ‘Why me?’ why not ask, ‘Why not me?’”   Should any of us be exempt from the stuff of life which tests   and challenges us?   The Scriptures do not hide that normal life on earth is difficult.   Just about every issue we can think of is dealt with by the men and woman portrayed throughout the Old and New Testaments. And yet, when stuff happens, our first response is often surprise.   Tracy and I certainly could not have predicted losing our mothers within 9 days of each other.   We knew for each one that it could happen any day, but nothing quite prepares you for the inevitable.   In the wake of these events I have begun to read this passage a little differently.               Let us then approa

  The Holiness of God             Many don’t address God’s holiness because we would rather see God as our friend.   We like the idea of God as father and we enjoy hearing about other traits like mercy, love and grace.   To face His holiness on the one hand is to face our lack of holiness on the other.   How do we juxtapose the popular teachings of Jesus our Savior, our brother and our friend with other biblical teachings of God’s majesty, wrath, justice and power?   The beauty of reading the Old Testament, the Gospels and especially the book of Revelation is that these writings reveal the God who stands apart from His creation and yet loves it enough to save it from self-destruction.   Much of it we don’t understand and yet we can’t help being impressed with a Creator that has righteous demands and standards that are absolute.             I am am seeking the help of R.C. Sproul and Jerry Bridges, two authors that have studied this topic extensively.   I believe th