tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18932356170110288222011-07-07T20:27:29.918-05:00Can an engineer really be a lay speaker?LogicaL Layspeakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177443226913918246noreply@blogger.comBlogger251100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893235617011028822.post-66242517352925091272009-07-31T13:00:00.002-05:002009-07-31T13:26:08.680-05:00

General thoughts crossed my mind recently in reading a post at another site I visit. The thread mentioned the Book of Resolutions created by the United Methodist Church General Conference. For any who do not know, it includes the stuff we Methodists are “resolved” about, and it appears we are resolved as a denomination about a lot of stuff. It’s not church law, but it does provide official

LogicaL Layspeakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177443226913918246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893235617011028822.post-82961019049772784922009-06-04T19:43:00.000-05:002009-06-04T19:44:23.398-05:00

Article... Put it in the light! Truth usually finds a way to be in the light! "Out of ignorance and certain outmoded cultures and traditions, many people have died....I will do everything humanly possible to rectify those anomalies because the saying goes that 'he who conceals his sickness should not expect to be healed.'" 1 John 1:5-105 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to

LogicaL Layspeakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177443226913918246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893235617011028822.post-26585221169659997822009-06-04T17:42:00.001-05:002009-06-04T19:20:11.896-05:00

I refer you to an article in the UMC news feed. When I was a youth, I would have loved this event. It's a camp out with friends. It is a wonderful way to provide food/funds for those trapped in homelessness. As an adult, I am pleased "The youth paid $5 each as “rent” for their boxes and brought more than 300 cans of food" for community missions. It is also pleasing to learn "The youth also

LogicaL Layspeakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177443226913918246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893235617011028822.post-49778598306073218922009-04-27T18:28:00.008-05:002009-04-27T18:43:19.313-05:00

Rethink Church was announced back in October with the goals as stated in the link. Since the new 10KDoors opened for business now, I guess the question on my mind is, will it work?quote from the article...Challenging the church The Commission on Communication was “very enthusiastic” about the general concept for “Rethink Church,” said Bishop Sally Dyck, commission president, …... Rethink Church

LogicaL Layspeakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177443226913918246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893235617011028822.post-12442931255259322672009-04-20T13:07:00.003-05:002009-04-20T13:18:11.768-05:00

<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan;

LogicaL Layspeakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177443226913918246noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893235617011028822.post-84094244269182331262009-04-11T15:08:00.005-05:002009-04-12T08:02:32.729-05:00

The Lord blessed me with another opportunity to provide a message. This time for our Easter Sunrise service....During the time I was thinking about the Sunrise Service message I was to deliver, someone pointed out to me an advertising campaign from Wal-Mart – “Easter Costs Less at Wal-Mart”. For some reason, I immediately knew where my message would come from. Was not sure what it was yet, but

LogicaL Layspeakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177443226913918246noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893235617011028822.post-63177412962840289892009-03-26T18:01:00.003-05:002009-03-26T18:08:11.941-05:00

I love IT!In my home town!Stand or deny!I think more billboards like this are necessary!For the Story...

LogicaL Layspeakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177443226913918246noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893235617011028822.post-82098937987858317172009-03-17T14:34:00.003-05:002009-03-17T19:49:23.992-05:00

I’m no statistician, but I like to play with the data and plot it different ways. So when I learned that a recent study was completed in 2008 that has similar data back to 1990 about religion, I wanted to play with the data. The percent of population numbers, while interesting, do not necessarily show the story of how rapidly a particular group is growing. I found the “Estimated” numbers from

LogicaL Layspeakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177443226913918246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893235617011028822.post-57230182776592174512009-02-22T21:10:00.005-06:002009-02-22T21:24:18.626-06:00

I already made a comment at the “The New 12th Gate” about this on 7villages, but I also feel I need to make a post. I must say that I did not listen to the items presented there, but I did search out and find some lyrics by the contemporary folk singer, Carrie Newcomer. The liner notes about the song “Geode” (see page 3) spoke to me. I repeat them here…“My home in Southern Indiana is a

LogicaL Layspeakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177443226913918246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893235617011028822.post-44109280434580387482009-01-27T21:05:00.005-06:002009-01-27T21:35:41.569-06:00

I had an opportunity to fill a pulpit this past Sunday at church. Here is my short summary.(for more Strange Breed cartoons, visit www.strangebreedcartoons.com)We start with Jonah, a prophet of Israel, given a task by God to call the ruthless, warmongering, heathen Assyrians of Nineveh to repentance. That’s the enemy!We continue with a prophet and probably a patriot of Israel, attempting to flee

LogicaL Layspeakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177443226913918246noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893235617011028822.post-27122981531936175022008-12-15T21:41:00.004-06:002008-12-15T21:52:18.187-06:00

During our annual charge conference, I was given an opportunity to give a report as Lay Leader about our congregation over the past year. I somehow forgot that I might be called upon to provide a report and did not “prepare” anything. Low and behold, I was called to provide a report. I reported how over the time as a member of this wonderful community of believers, I have seen growth in trying

LogicaL Layspeakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177443226913918246noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893235617011028822.post-21970794160895385852008-12-04T20:37:00.005-06:002008-12-04T20:42:43.066-06:00

So here it is....Matthew 6:25–34 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? …1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with

LogicaL Layspeakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177443226913918246noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893235617011028822.post-30231027978392093772008-11-28T13:06:00.005-06:002008-11-28T13:15:29.749-06:00

New definition for Black Friday? Is it now to be a day of mourning? Has the American pursuit of mammon gotten to the point now where common courtesy and civil interaction with people are less important than getting that deal? This is why I never shop on this day. No deal/gift/item is worth the hassle. There is another reason. If my loved ones can not deal with missing that special thing I just

LogicaL Layspeakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177443226913918246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893235617011028822.post-8289487359161586892008-11-24T20:55:00.005-06:002008-11-24T21:11:02.971-06:00

I am wondering if it is time to return to a time of the class meeting. There is a bunch of talk of emerging church, etc., but do we really just need a good old fashion re-emergenace? So here is the first part and 5 of the "such as" of the General Rules of the "United Societies" organized by Mr. Wesley. Do we need to update any of the language for our time? Do you think you could survive an

LogicaL Layspeakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177443226913918246noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893235617011028822.post-64833583573907110372008-11-17T23:08:00.002-06:002008-11-17T23:13:58.907-06:00

I’ve experienced a rash of brokenness within one week!1. One car driven by son meets deer in road at 40mph.2. Second car driven by other son meets rear end of another vehicle.3. Fancy glass faux alabaster touchier lamp shade meets wall.4. Rug cleaner stops working on the weekend I finally have available to use it (this is related to number 3).5. Newly purchased low price old replacement car rear

LogicaL Layspeakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177443226913918246noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893235617011028822.post-54841204815452113532008-11-13T16:11:00.004-06:002008-11-13T16:18:29.106-06:00

In my first blog post, I mentioned I would talk about it later. It’s later. On that camping trip, I did finish reading Simple Church: Returning to God's Process for Making Disciples by Thom S. Rainer and Eric Geiger. The target audience, it seems, is the every busy, program loaded, church leading, non-itinerant ministry pastor or church leader. (How’s that for a mouthful!) That is not to say I

LogicaL Layspeakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177443226913918246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893235617011028822.post-44411129358649718492008-11-10T12:18:00.006-06:002008-11-10T20:33:32.157-06:00

It comes up all the time in my discussions with non-believers or doubters. Truth is relative. The Bible is myth. The Bible is mistaken. The Scriptures are culturally biased and therefore wrong. Barbarian men wrote it. etc. I'm sure you have heard it, too.<?xml:namespace prefix = o />What is at the truth of it? Can't say I know for sure, but I will offer an opinion. I think it is an unwillingness

LogicaL Layspeakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177443226913918246noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893235617011028822.post-344525929549240322008-11-07T22:16:00.000-06:002008-11-07T22:17:06.085-06:00

Now this makes me feel more like a real Unitied Methodist.Thank you, Bishops!

LogicaL Layspeakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177443226913918246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893235617011028822.post-25826358561030097362008-11-06T21:53:00.004-06:002008-11-06T22:16:02.939-06:00

I voted. I did not vote for Obama. Now I am wondering if I am a Methodist. I read the Bishops’ statement, this and other articles from the UMC news feed, and I wonder....am I really a United Methodist?I fully understand and appreciate the significance and history of the election of a black person to the presidency of the USA. I am very proud that our country has reached one of many pinnacles that

LogicaL Layspeakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177443226913918246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893235617011028822.post-31042671402563804562008-11-04T13:47:00.006-06:002008-11-04T13:54:11.977-06:00

Take a look at the definition for poll. For something like 22 months, all we have heard about is polls. I am ready to take definition number 6 and promptly apply it to my definition 5! But today it’s finally over (although after the election 8 years ago…maybe over today?). Our country picks new people to govern.Some may find assurance in the results, some may not. One thing true for me is that

LogicaL Layspeakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177443226913918246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893235617011028822.post-30242597514094962282008-11-01T19:15:00.007-05:002008-11-02T09:11:03.259-06:00

What do I do with an extra hour? Do I sleep in? Do I wake an hour earlier?Right now I go with wake an hour earlier. I need the extra time to prepare for the Sunday School lesson. The author of our current teacher book quarterly is one I’ve done before, and quite frankly, he and I just do not connect on the same “teacher’s plane of thought”. It’s just one of those things, I suppose. I can tell

LogicaL Layspeakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177443226913918246noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893235617011028822.post-33716203532866048682008-10-29T13:14:00.004-05:002008-10-29T13:25:12.014-05:00

Turn on the news or read the newspaper and you see the word, fraud. Vote fraud, to be specific. Yet one person's fraud is another's myth or suppression. If you ask me, whatever is at the root of it, it is hurting all of us. Whether the charge of fraud is false or the claims of myth and suppression are false, the root cause is the lack of truth. Where is our modern day Micah? "Listen! The

LogicaL Layspeakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177443226913918246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893235617011028822.post-92015593334778349872008-10-24T20:38:00.007-05:002008-10-24T22:03:06.254-05:00

I sleep in a little late. I dial in on the morning telecon at the last minute. I browse my schedule on the laptop as I listen, punch off some email and think "I can get some stuff done this morning!" I chew on breakfast while pushing on the ear piece for my cell phone. My dogs on the deck at the sliding door get impatient waiting for breakfast and start to share their impatience by doing “

LogicaL Layspeakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177443226913918246noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893235617011028822.post-11985465070979111692008-10-20T18:50:00.004-05:002008-10-20T21:24:26.010-05:00

One of the things I like best about camping is the nightly campfire. Now since this is October I will say that a morning campfire is quite nice, also! Much time was spent collecting wood and getting and keeping the fire going in the morning, so I lost some of that time I usually have for reading, but I don’t mind a bit. The crackling fire, the occasional hooting owl, and coyote cries help to

LogicaL Layspeakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177443226913918246noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893235617011028822.post-63575975576066717312008-10-16T16:04:00.008-05:002008-10-20T21:20:50.976-05:00

So on the day before I go away for a little extended weekend camping trip (Fall River Lake in the picture), I decide to launch a blog. Not that I am expecting anything huge to happen, but this is something new for me as I never really had been a journaling type of person, although I do frequent an online faith forum. Perhaps it is the Spirit at work, prompting me to move away from the short,

LogicaL Layspeakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177443226913918246noreply@blogger.com0