Here we are on the Friday before the Presidential Election. It looks like Sen. Obama is in the lead, but the gap is being closed somewhat by Sen. McCain. Things could get bumpy over the next few days.

Now, first of all I realize that many of you have already voted. I’m a traditionalist, so I’ll probably wait until Tuesday myself. But I think it’s important for everyone to participate. Certainly, everyone has at least a passing interest in how this whole thing turns out — if for no other reason than the fact that we’ve been forced to witness the most grueling 20-month process I can remember.

Still, I want to think through something with you, and I trust that everyone here will remain civil in our conversation. I have a simple question, but it may take a little bit to set up.

Let’s imagine that one of the candidates running for President of the USA is a bona fide economic genius. He has devised a plan that would once and forever solve our economic problems, reversing the damage done in the recent past and forever setting us on a path to national prosperity never before dreamed of. Let’s also say that he has good, solid plans to settle other issues like the environment, immigration and health care. He is the ideal candidate with one exception.

He supports the Ku Klux Klan.

Tell me this: Is that one issue enough to disqualify him from the Presidency? Why or Why not?

Thanks for the good feedback on what you’d like to hear me preach about. I’ll let you know as the 2009 calendar shapes up.

Keith Brenton made an interesting suggestion. He wonders what might happen if I just stuck to the Apostle Paul’s preaching schedule when he was in Corinth. Keith is referring to the verse where Paul writes, “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2).

Now, I might suggest that Paul was using some hyperbole. Certainly, the scholarly apostle taught those young Christians other things over the course of 18 months, right? Later in the same letter, he scolds them for not understanding other issues. He instructs them on how to handle church discipline, the pros and cons of marriage versus remaining single and how to exercise your freedom without needlessly offending immature Christians. In other words, he doesn’t just talk about Jesus’ crucifixion in his letter to the church; we shouldn’t think this is too much of a departure from the kind of instruction he gave them in person.

So, two questions for you today: (1) What might happen if a preacher only preached about Jesus and his crucifixion every Sunday? (2) If that’s not what Paul means, then what does he mean?

I’m working on my preaching calendar for 2009, and I’d love to hear your input. Head over to the River Park Community Church blog and let me know what kind of stuff you’d like to hear.

Pamela Newton of Star Valley, AZ!

Most people I know — probably most of you reading this blog — own a Bible. But do they know what it is? Do they know how many people literally gave their lives to secure the availability of Bibles to common people? More importantly, do they even bother to open them up and read what they say?

In the Bible, God has provided a gigantic feast of blessings, promises, warnings, hopes, assurances, encouragements, guidelines, principles — pretty much everything we need to know in order to navigate the rough waters of life. But most people I know are all too willing to just make life up as they go along. We get into a jam and, rather than consulting the wisdom God provides for us, we just “wing it”.

Maybe we trust our gut and don’t realize the wisdom and clarity of God’s Word. Or maybe we have a pretty good idea what we’d find if we cracked open the Bible, and we’d rather just do what we feel like doing. If we don’t read it to find out for sure, we can always claim ignorance and ease our guilty conscience.

The Bible is called a lamp (see Psalm 119:105), but — like any other lamp — it has to be turned on to be of any use. If we want to allow God’s Lamp to illuminate our darkened path, we have to open it up and shine it in the direction of our problems.

So many lamps; so many wandering around in the dark. Do you suppose they prefer the dark? Or do you think they don’t realize what exactly the Bible is and how it could be useful for them? What do you suppose the problem really is?

Stan Campbell wrote a parable about a scientist who was determined to help homeless and hungry people. This scientist worked tirelessly to invent a device that manipulated subatomic particles, turning them into actual food — whatever kind of food you wanted — fried chicken, pot roast, lasagna, tacos — anything you like.

Because he was driven by a desire to help rather than a desire to make a name for himself, he chose to give the device away to someone who really needed it. So, he walked up to the first homeless man he saw and gave him the machine — explaining how it worked and waiting to see that the man could operate it.

Sure enough, the homeless man dialed up eggs, bacon, hash browns and coffee — woofing them down in moments.

The scientist went happily on his way, excited to get working on a second device and hoping to find funding for mass production. This would certainly eradicate global hunger.

He was still working on the second device a couple of weeks later when he saw the homeless man from before digging through a dumpster for food.

Needless to say, the scientist was alarmed. “Is everything okay? Did the device stop working? Did it get broken or lost or stolen?”

The homeless man replied, “No, I still have it, and it works just fine. It’s in my shopping cart with the rest of my stuff.”

“Then what are you doing here looking for food?” asked the bewildered scientist.

“Well, the machine makes it too easy to get food. Sometimes I like to provide for myself, to earn my food. When I dig through the dumpster and find a box of half-eaten Chinese take-out, sure it may smell bad, and it may be a little green and fuzzy around the edges, but I feel like I earned my keep for the day. I may get sick and not be able to keep anything solid down for a while, but it’s a sense of accomplishment I don’t get from your machine. I get a sense of satisfaction from taking care of myself.”

The scientist walked away puzzled. He never finished his second device, never got the funding to mass produce it. Instead, he went back to school to study behavioral psychology. The homeless man still digs through dumpsters, getting sick and going hungry most nights. The device is somewhere out there…unused, collecting dust…perhaps in a motel room drawer.

———-

Now, here’s the kicker: Stan wrote that parable about the way people respond to the Bible. What do you think he was trying to say?

Brittany A. Barber from Carson Newman College wins a free copy of the book.

Rick Duncan, Sr. Pastor of Cuyahoga Valley Church just outside of Cleveland, OH. One of the truly good guys in ministry, and a former baseball player!

Rick gets a free autographed copy of the book for Christmas. I wonder who will be next?

Rick Duncan

What were we talking about?