Manahawakin United Methodist Church Pastor's Blog

The Ultimate Step-Dad – Christmas Through the Eyes of Joseph, 3

2010-12-19T12:10:00.000-08:00

The Ultimate Step-Dad – Christmas Through the Eyes of Joseph, 3:“And You Shall Name Him Jesus”Matthew 1:24-25Rev. Clark Lynn Callender, 12/19/10 Retired preacher Will Thompson tells the following story of an unusual experience he had one year, and the profound lesson he learned from it, when he was called, at the last moment, to fill in for a fellow preacher who had come down sick at Christmas.

The Ultimate Step-Dad – Christmas Through the Eyes of Joseph, 2

2010-12-12T12:08:00.000-08:00

The Ultimate Step-Dad – Christmas Through the Eyes of Joseph, 2:“A Love Story”Matthew 1:18-24Rev. Clark Lynn Callender, 12/12/10 So, how’s the holiday season going for you so far? Fun, frantic... Relaxing, stressful... All of the above?! Perhaps, a little more pointedly: Is this a time of year you normally look forward to, or dread? I suppose it’s probably safe to say that, for most

The Ultimate Step-Dad – Christmas Through the Eyes of Joseph

2010-11-28T12:07:00.000-08:00

The Ultimate Step-Dad – Christmas Through the Eyes of Joseph, 1:“Sleep-Walking”Matthew 1:18-20Rev. Clark Lynn Callender, 11/28/10 “My most vivid childhood memory of Christmas,” writes columnist Dave Barry, “that does not involve opening presents, putting batteries in presents, playing with presents, and destroying presents before sundown, is the annual Nativity Pageant at St. Stephen’s

You shall not covet

2010-11-14T12:06:00.000-08:00

God’s Top Ten List, X:“You Shall Not Covet”Exodus 20:17Rev. Clark Lynn Callender, 11/14/10 Many years ago, when I was a young boy, I remember witnessing an encounter between two brothers that taught me a great lesson... There were these two brothers that lived a few houses up the street from us. And one day, the elder brother had in his hands some money which he held out to his younger

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor

2010-11-07T12:04:00.000-08:00

God’s Top Ten List, IX:“You Shall Not Bear False Witness Against Your Neighbor”Exodus 20:16Rev. Clark Lynn Callender, 11/7/10 In a little known, rarely quoted passage in the New Testament, Jesus makes the following statement – he says: That is a scary statement if you really think about it... That, in the end, it all comes down to our WORDS. How are we doing with that? Well, this is

You shall not steal

2010-10-31T12:03:00.000-07:00

God’s Top Ten List, VIII:“You Shall Not Steal”Exodus 20:15Rev. Clark Lynn Callender, 10/31/10 According to the stories told by the ancient Jewish teachers, there once was a young man who was becoming increasingly materialistic – obsessed with money and property and possessions. The local rabbi was very concerned about this, so one day he invited the young man over to his home. The rabbi

You shall not commit adultery

2010-10-24T12:02:00.000-07:00

God’s Top Ten List, VII:“You Shall Not Commit Adultery”Exodus 20:14Rev. Clark Lynn Callender, 10/24/10 If you were asked to define what MARRIAGE is, how would you answer? Well, one simple philosopher has suggested the following – he says: “Marriage is when you agree to spend the rest of your life sleeping in a room that’s too warm for you, beside someone who’s sleeping in a room that’s too

You Shall Not Murder

2010-10-17T11:58:00.000-07:00

God’s Top Ten List, VI:“You Shall Not Murder”Exodus 20:13Rev. Clark Lynn Callender, 10/17/10 Someone once said: “Every day, other lives move through our own. Some we recognize, many we never even notice. But often, unbeknownst to us, we affect these lives greatly – in a word, in an action; deciding what their day will bring – sometimes, if they will know a tomorrow.” This is what I would

Honor Your Father and Your Mother

2010-10-10T02:53:00.000-07:00

God’s Top Ten List, V:“Honor Your Father and Your Mother”Exodus 20:12Rev. Clark Lynn Callender, 10/10/10 Have you ever noticed how your perspective on things often changes over time, as your situation, your place in life, shifts... particularly as you grow older and, perhaps, come to see some of the wisdom of your elders that you dismissed in your youth? Mark Twain once made the following

Remember the Sabbath Day, and Keep It Holy

2010-10-03T02:52:00.000-07:00

God’s Top Ten List, IV:“Remember the Sabbath Day, and Keep It Holy”Exodus 20:8-11Rev. Clark Lynn Callender, 10/03/10 Contemporary Jewish author, Noah benShea, offers the following reflection on life - he writes: “Life is best understood as a tapestry – which means that, by its very nature, we are working at it from the back, ‘in a blind.’ The Sabbath is when we are allowed to turn the

You Shall Not Take the Name of the Lord in Vain.

2010-09-26T02:50:00.000-07:00

God’s Top Ten List, III:“You Shall Not Take the Name of the Lord in Vain.”Exodus 20:7Rev. Clark Lynn Callender, 9/26/10 What’s in a name? How did Shakespeare put it? “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” What’s in a name? Particularly, what’s the big-deal about GOD’S NAME? Every week, every single Sunday morning, we all offer one very familiar prayer,

You Shall Not Make for Yourself an Idol

2010-09-19T14:43:00.000-07:00

God’s Top Ten List, II:“You Shall Not Make for Yourself an Idol”Exodus 20:4-6Rev. Clark Lynn Callender. 9/19/10 When you think of God, what do you see? How do you picture God? Is God short or tall? Young or old? Male or female? Is God the traditional old man with a long white beard and a flowing white robe seated on a golden chair on top of a cloud? Or do you picture God as just pure

You Shall Have No Other God’s Before Me

2010-09-12T14:39:00.000-07:00

God’s Top Ten List, I:“You Shall Have No Other God’s Before Me”Exodus 20:1-3Rev. Clark Lynn Callender, 9/12/10 Once upon a time, so the story goes, a young man walked into a photography studio with a framed picture of his girlfriend. He wanted the picture duplicated. This involved removing it from the frame. In doing so, the studio owner noticed an inscription on the back of the photograph –

Angry With God

2010-09-05T14:38:00.000-07:00

The Life of Moses – Act 4, Scene 2:“Angry With God”Deuteronomy 34:1-8Rev. Clark Lynn Callender, 9/5/10 Have you ever been angry with God? The loved one that was taken far too early. The other who lingered and suffered far too long. The disease that came out of nowhere. The healing that never arrived. The marriage that fell apart. The child not saved. The suffering not eased. Prayers

A Love Affair

2010-08-29T14:36:00.000-07:00

The Life of Moses – Act 4, Scene 1:“A Love Affair”Deuteronomy 6:1-9Rev. Clark Lynn Callender, 8/29/10 Do you ever feel overwhelmed by life? Overcome by just the sheer volume and complexity of its demands upon you – seemingly endless responsibilities, conflicting and competing pressures, unrelenting problems and issues? Do you ever dream of a simpler existence? I suppose it’s probably safe

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

2010-08-18T04:53:00.000-07:00

The Life of Moses – Act 3, Scene 3:“Between a Rock and a Hard Place”Exodus 14:10-29Rev. Clark Lynn Callender, 7/18/10 Have you ever heard the story of the little boy who, one day, in Sunday School class, learned the story of the parting of the Red Sea? That afternoon, as the boy and his parents sat down for Sunday dinner, his parents asked him what he learned in Sunday School that day. The

A Blood Drive

2010-07-17T18:18:00.000-07:00

The Life of Moses – Act 3, Scene 2:Exodus 12:29-32Rev. Clark Lynn Callender, 7/11/10 A very wise person once said: “The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has limits.” Do you every do dumb things? Make foolish, seemingly unthinking, often self-destructive mistakes? I suppose it’s safe to say that we all have those moments, from time to time. Consider the following: “

Gathering Straw

2010-07-10T15:03:00.000-07:00

The Life of Moses, Act 3, Scene 1:Exodus 5:10-23Rev. Clark Lynn Callender, 7/4/10 Approximately 25 years ago, the Hymnal Revision Committee of the United Methodist Church was preparing for the 1988 General Conference. This Conference would introduce a new hymnal for all United Methodists – the hymnal that is in our pews today. After years of debate over what hymns to include, the committee

Thinking Ahead

2010-07-10T15:02:00.000-07:00

The Life of Moses, Act 2, Scene 2:Exodus 4:10-17Rev. Clark Lynn Callender, 6/13/10 Someone once said that: “Every morning, the only sure thing any of us can say about the day that awaits us is that God’s love arrived there before us. For the providential care of God for his children always rises long before the sun.” The only sure thing: God’s loving care running ahead of us, awaiting us..

Holy Ground

2010-07-10T15:00:00.000-07:00

The Life of Moses – Act 2, Scene 1:Exodus 3:1-12Rev. Clark Lynn Callender, 5/30/10The story is told that, many of years ago, now former President George W. Bush had been invited to speak at a political rally, and following the rally he was standing in the convention center lobby when he happened to notice a man in a long, flowing, white robe with a long, flowing, white beard and long, flowing,

The Fugitive

2010-07-10T14:59:00.000-07:00

The Life of Moses – Act 1, Scene 5:Exodus 2:11-25Rev. Clark Lynn Callender, 5/16/10Lefkos Hajji is a man in love. Two years ago he decided to pop the question of marriage to his girlfriend in a way she would never forget.Well, let’s just say: She hasn’t.According to an article in Reuters, Lefkos – a flooring contractor from Hackney, East London, England – thought he had everything right when he

Three Women and a Baby

2010-07-10T14:57:00.000-07:00

The Life of Moses – Act 1, Scene 4:Exodus 2:5-10Rev. Clark Lynn Callender, 5/9/16Once upon a time, so the story is told, there was a young minister who, when he was still single, preached a sermon entitled, “Rules for Raising Children.” After he got married and had children of his own, he changed the title of the sermon to, “Suggestions for Raising Children.” And when his children got to be

Cast Adrift

2010-07-10T14:56:00.000-07:00

The Life of Moses – Act 1, Scene 3:Exodus 2:1-4Rev. Clark Lynn Callender, 5/2/10How well do you handle difficulties – life when it goes all wrong? Christian author Greg Allison writes:“In April 1997, residents of Grand Forks, North Dakota abandoned their possessions to the rising Red River. Record snowfalls had melted into record spring floods. The city was swamped. Weeks later, the flood slowly

A Higher Authority

2010-07-04T13:09:00.000-07:00

The Life of Moses – Act 1, Scene 2: “We have to answer to a higher authority.” Do you remember that slogan from a popular TV commercial years ago? Hebrew National Hot Dogs – “We have to answer to a higher authority.” According to those who know such things, this was one of the most successful, longest-running campaigns in advertizing history. The commercial would begin with Uncle Sam

The Only Thing We Have to Fear is Fear Itself

2010-07-04T13:06:00.000-07:00

The Life of Moses – Act 1, Scene 1: Do you ever get scared? Really scared? What sort of things most frighten you – the kind of fear that keeps you up in the middle of the night, tossing and turning, unable to go to sleep, nervous, anxious? Is it health problems, financial problems, marriage or family problems... loss failure, uncertainty? We all have those nights, don’t we? Sometimes