Think of it, just three months ago, most of us had never heard of “shelter at home” orders. Today, we are about six weeks into experiencing “social distancing.” Data comes at us faster than we can process. Conspiracy theories abound regarding the...
“The saddest words of tongue or pen are the simple words; it might have been.” What is the source of discontent? What stimulates regret? There are many attendant circumstances to discontent, but those circumstances only fan the spark of envy, producing a flame...
In the middle of Solomon’s declarations, “everything beautiful in its time” and “yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end” (Eccl. 3:11 NIV), how does one “find satisfaction in all their toil?” (3:13) The key...
On 3-18-20, I opined that “there is no secret path to universal peace.” By that, I was suggesting that no formula, recipe, or incantation will guarantee constant enjoyment. However, there are patterns of chosen attitude, behavior, and actions that will stack the...
I’ve been around for almost seven decades, during which the most common word used to described all those times is “uncertain.” As we wander through the book of Ecclesiastes, we have heard Solomon agree and felt him almost bury us in examples of the...
Many years ago, I read a story about a very successful bank president who was retiring. The incoming president arranged a meeting with his predecessor. The young man began the conversation with a compliment, “You have been extraordinarily successful, leading the bank...
While the temptation to jump ahead in Ecclesiastes is strong, our discoveries escalate if we, step-by-step, follow Solomon’s recipe for life on planet Earth (“under the sun”). Step one of his recipe is to cover the student with meaningless repetitions of...
Gifted writers tempt their audience with powerful openings leaving footprints on our souls. Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities begins, “It was the best of times, and it was the worst of times…” George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four teases...
In the late ’70s, Cheryl and I moved to Moses Lake, WA, to start a church. One of the first things that must be addressed when starting a church is to determine where you are going to meet. I investigated every lead I could find. Someone suggested that I check out an...
Once upon a time (true story), I was interviewing a man about membership in the local church. I usually explore an individual's understanding of the Gospel with two, shall we call them, story questions. The first question I call a “story question&rdquo...
