The slogan adopted by the Army in 2000 was “An Army of One” which lasted only six years before being replaced by “Army Strong.”  The slogan was meant to reflect the fact that “One” was an acronym meaning “Officers, NCOs, and Enlisted.”  No one understood it that way except the team that came up with the slogan.  The previous slogan (“Be All That You can Be”) lasted twenty years; so, it is clear that this one failed. 

  Continue reading Dean’s Musings . . . “The Power of One . . .”

Proverbs 29:18a says “Where there is no vision, the people perish . . .” (King James Version).  The New Revised Standard Version puts it like this: “Where there is no prophecy, the people cast off restraint . . .”   Frankly, I like the King James Version best because it paints a more dramatic picture (even though the NRSV is probably a more accurate translation of the Hebrew).  The word “vision” has a far more encompassing flavor than does the word “prophecy.”  “Perish” certainly has a more stark connotation than “cast off restraint.”  There is a big difference between walking on the wild side and dying.

  Continue reading Dean’s Musings . . . “Withering Away . . .”

Which comes first:  sound or the ability to hear?  This sounds like the “chick & egg” question that is unanswerable.  A question that may have an answer is:  “Is God listening before we speak, or do our prayers attract God’s attention?”

  Continue reading Dean’s Musings . . . “Which Comes first . . .?”

My devotional book that I am using this year is entitled When You Pray: Daily Practices for Prayerful Living by Bishop Rueben Job (2009).  Each day’s devotions concludes with the same scriptural blessing, Hebrews 13:5c-6 which reads:

Continue reading Dean’s Musings . . . “Of what are you afraid?”

The 21^st chapter of Revelation begins with a promise.

¹Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 

²And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 

³And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples,

and God himself will be with them;

⁴he will wipe every tear from their eyes.

Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more,

for the first things have passed away.”

⁵And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 

[Revelation 21:1-5]

  Continue reading Dean’s Musings . . . “New is . . .”

    John 3:16 is one of the most widely known verses in the Bible.  This is, in part, because Christians keep it in the forefront of people’s consciousness.  Think of the number of times we have seen someone in the stands of a sporting event hold up a sign that reads “John 3:16.”  ¹⁶“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”  This is the New Revised Standard Version—the King James Version that many of us memorized reads like this:  “¹⁶For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

  Continue reading Dean’s Musings . . . “For God so loved the world . . .”

    When we reach this time of year, Shannon (our Office Administrator) and I compare weather notes.  I have the Weather Channel on my desktop that gives me a read out of the temperature; when I open the site, I can view the current forecast and weather map.  It is amazing how many times the forecast changes between the time I arrive at church and mid to late morning.  When I relay the new forecast to Shannon, her comment is often, “I wish I had a job where I can be wrong 50% of the time.”   I realize that the weather is hard to predict because factors can change only slightly that, in turn, totally disrupts the weather prediction.  Still . . . I know what Shannon is talking about.

  Continue reading Dean’s Musings . . . “The Right to be Wrong”

  The days have grown shorter.  We are now about three weeks away from the shortest day of the year.  It is 5:00 P.M., and the sun is sinking into night.  In a matter of days, I will be driving Ben & Sarah to school before sunup and getting home after sundown.  At least today was sunny which brightens my spirit.  When the clouds roll in and the days become gloomy, the “darkness” will really take hold of our lives.

  Continue reading Dean’s Musings . . . “That Time of Year”

“Oh, be careful little mouth what you say” goes a children’s Bible song.  The intent of the song is to train children to be wary of how they use their eyes, ears, hands, feet, and mouths, lest they put them to doing evil rather than good.  The advice is, actually, very good. . . . and it applies to adults as well as children. 

  Continue reading Dean’s Musings . . . “Oh, Be Careful . . .”

Have you ever heard someone exclaim, “For the love of God!”  It is usually blurted out in surprise because of something that has happened or something discovered unexpectedly.  Unfortunately, it all too often has nothing to do with what the words literally mean; it is typically more in the order of a curse than a blessing.

  Continue reading “Dean’s Musings . . . “For the love of God!”