Larry Lilly Live
Add text
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Berean Baptist Church of Terre Haute
  • Journal December 2019
  • Journal November 2019
  • Journal October 2019
  • Journal September 2019
  • Journal August 2019
  • Journal July 2019
  • Journal May 2019
  • Journal April 2019
  • Journal February 2019
  • Journal January 2019
  • Journal December 2018
  • Journal October 2018
  • Journal September 2018
  • Journal August 2018
  • Journal June 2018
  • Journal April 2018
  • Journal March 2018
  • Journal February 2018
  • Journal December 2017
  • Journal November 2017
  • Journal October 2017
  • Journal September 2017
  • Journal August 2017
  • Journal July 2017
  • Journal June 2017
  • Journal May 2017
  • Journal April 2017
  • Journal March 2017
  • Journal February 2017
  • Journal January 2017
  • Journal December 2016
  • Journal October 2016
  • Journal Sept 2016
  • Journal August 2016
  • Journal July 2016
  • Journal June 2016
  • Journal May 2016
  • Journal April 2016
  • Journal March 2016
  • Journal February 2016
  • Journal November 2015
  • Journal October 2015
  • Journal September 2015
  • Journal August 2015
  • Journal July 2015
  • Journal June 2015
  • Journal May 2015
  • Journal April 2015
  • Journal March 2015
  • Journal February 2015
  • Journal January 2015
  • Outrageous Forgiveness
  • Making it Thru The Holidays
  • About Walls, Pope & Trump
  • Sunday at Berean 2/19/2017
  • Prison Ministry Update
  • Journal November 2018
    • Amazing Grace Booklet
  • Untitled
  • Blog
  • Blog
  • Blog
  • Blog

A Deeply Religious Christmas

12/7/2014

0 Comments

 
LLL 12-8-2014  A Deeply Religious Christmas?     

As I wrestled with the idea of something “Christmasy” to write about, I came across a truly American Christmas statement by the world renowned theologian from Atlanta, Dave Barry. It is on target:

“Once again, we come to the Holiday Season, a deeply religious time that each of us observes, in his own way, by going to the mall of his choice.”
Dave Barry

Over the course of my life as a Christian, (from age 20) I have observed the downturn of most things human and much of what is known as “religious life.” Some years ago I started quite a ruckus in the church I pastored at that time. Seems one of the “leading” ladies of the congregation went to her reward, (which may have been surprising) and the family contacted me about officiating at her memorial service. I knew her to be one of the leading ladies, from what the family told me, though over several years I had never seen her in a church service, but had talked with her and her hubby at the small version of a mall in our town.

In a moment of weakness, stupidity and what I childishly supposed courage at the time, I suggested that we have the service at the mall as she would feel much more comfortable in that venue. I am known as “slow on the uptake” but it took only a passing listen to the rage in the voice over the phone that I, the up and coming young whiz bang of a preacher had seriously blown it. (Actually they did have the procession drive through the mall parking lot on the way to the cemetery). And let me say that having officiated at several thousand funerals or as we say today, “Life Celebrations,” I have never said anything near what I said that day. I say this with the burning guilty knowledge though I have felt like repeating the same thing more times than I can count, the remark would have been spot on, though not appropriate. It’s hard for preachers to learn that truth is not always the order of the day.

So, as best I can I wish you a Merry Christmas, as you wear yourself to a frazzle in the mall of your choice celebrating the Incarnation of God The Son, making His entrance into the world of people via The Virgin and cementing this truth by His resurrection from the dead.

As I write this I am attempting to recover from another terrible slip of the tongue this very morning. As I was trying to write a Christmasy piece, a woman and her child stopped by our little church informing me that, though she would be too busy tomorrow (Sunday) at the Mall of her choice to attend the service, would it be okay if she called in the afternoon to meet with me and a deacon to partake of the Lord’s Supper?

I hope not, but you may read my answer in USA Today or hear it on Fox News.

Copyright © 2014    Larry Lilly
For great IT Service click Oral DecKard
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly