If a Tree Falls on Your Fancy Ideas

by Jeff Stairs on October 1, 2011
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I’m sure you’ve heard this one: If a tree falls alone in a forest, does it make a sound (and how would we know)? This pitiful excuse for “deep thinking” came to mind recently as I recalled something from the pastor’s study in the book of James, conducted a couple of years ago. We had [...]

Except That Song

by Jeff Stairs on February 26, 2011
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I really treasure the lyricist who can describe something familiar, with a certain turn of phrase that surprises us and makes us wonder if we ever understood the concept the first time around. For instance, I could tell you that the moonlight was unusually bright and pretty, but I’d rather hear the late Rich Mullins [...]

How to Play the Devil’s Instrument in the Congregation of the Righteous

by Jeff Stairs on November 5, 2010
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Forgive me, if you will, for the needlessly provocative title. I was sent a link to an article devoted to drummers in churches, which raised the puzzling issue of whether to reduce their noise by means of a) a plexiglass enclosure or b) a set of electronic drums. Granted, I personally consider one of those [...]

The Answer Is Not Always “C”

by Jeff Stairs on March 17, 2010
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Wow, King David sure got himself into some shameful and terrifying situations, and not just with Uriah’s wife. But I’ll grant him this: He got it right when he set his gaze to repent, because he knew the God with whom he was dealing. In the early verses of 1 Chronicles 21, David commands that [...]

Giving Thanks on “Sanctity of Human Life Sunday”

by Jeff Stairs on January 17, 2010
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This Sunday morning in the 9:30 hour, we turned our attention to the 2nd chapter in D.A.Carson’s analysis of Paul’s priorities in prayer, entitled A Call to Spiritual Reformation. We spent time, in groups of five to ten, praying for various folks in our church directory, in accordance with the framework that Carson observes in [...]

What Zephaniah Knew (and when he knew it)

by Jeff Stairs on December 21, 2009
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Well, allow me to approach this from back to front. “When he knew it” was during the reign of Josiah, king of Judah. Josiah was one of the rare cases of a king who “did right in the eyes of The Lord”; so much so that the writer of the Books of “Kings” pays him [...]