Just Thinking

Pastor SmithJust thinking is a compilation of short articles written over many years for Peace Offerings, the monthly parish newsletter.

The title "Just Thinking" was born out of the commonly held notion that when you retire there's more time to do stuff that you couldn't do before. For me, that was "thinking".

Anyway, I was encouraged by a couple of people (or was it one?) to gather the thoughts together in the hope that they might serve the best interests of the reader, the purpose of God for us, and, maybe, generate additional thinking.

A special "Thank You" to Fern Stacy, who typed and retyped and put the whole thing together; the same to Jackie Alfson, who never hesitated after copy-reading to say to me, "That Doesn't Make Any Sense"; and finally to my wife, Katherine who although unaware, was often the "thought provoker".

And finally, "Sola Dei Gloria!!" (That's Latin, I think)… "To God Alone Be the Glory!!".

E.G. Smith, Pastor Emeritus
Peace Lutheran Church
Columbus, NE 68601

A Few Random Thoughts

Just a few random thoughts:

Have you noticed that "common decency" is really not as common as it used to be??

Disagreement does not equate with hatred… and love does not equate with agreement.

As the woman said, "When I don't want what is growing within me, its called a "thing" or "fetal material"… When I do want it, it's called a "baby" or a "child". It would seem that MY "WANTING" has the power to change a "thing" into a HUMAN BEING. WOW!!!!

FORGIVENESS is sometimes treated like "cheap goods", "bargain basement merchandise", "dime a dozen stuff'. NOT SO!!! FORGIVENESS IS EXPENSIVE. CHRIST DIED FOR IT!! Remember the woman caught in the act of adultery? Jesus told her, "I'm not condemning you but CUT IT OUT! DON'T DO IT AGAIN!!" (My own paraphrase.) Jesus came to SAVE US FROM OUR SIN: not to CONFIRM US IN OUR SIN… To be forgiven is to receive the power for change.

Act Of War: 9/11/01

This is being written one week after the act of war against our country. Other things may have transpired since then… Anyway, I WAS JUST THINKING that terrorist groups are usually quick to claim responsibility for their atrocities. To this point "mum's the word". Kind of interesting, isn't it?

I was in Jr. High at the time of Pearl Harbor, so I was old enough to remember. The nation had lived through 10 years of "depression". Compared to today, we didn't have all that much then. Consequently, when gas (we didn't have a car), shoes, clothes, food were rationed and hard to find during World War II, that was no "big deal" We were used to that.

Now it's different. Compared to 60 years ago we have everything and lack nothing. Do we have the "stomach", the will to BE without, DO without, LIVE without? We may well FIND out. Pray God gives us the backbone.

To date: The president, the Congress and Governors all have encouraged us to pray and invoke the blessing of Almighty God. The media has covered this plus assorted prayer services (notably the one at the National Cathedral) with a kind of subtle approval. However, we have, to date, not heard dissenting voices from the ACLU, People for the American Way or other "church/state separation" folks. Anyway, God still is not allowed in the school house.

As the Russian born comedian says, "Is this a great country, or what???"

After The 45th

It's Monday morning and Jackie just hollered from her desk, "It's newsletter day" I received her message instantaneously. So much for modern electronics.

I had nothing prepared. That's because I hadn't been thinking lately. But Jackie's demanding tone aroused the synapses, or whatever those brain things are called, to get thinking.

So I a m thinking of yesterday and the 45th anniversary celebration. I am thinking how "out of sight good" God is and has been to me in this life: His Son, Jesus Christ as my Savior, my wife, Katherine, our children, their children, Pastor Klatt, The Elders, Jackie, Gene, singers, musicians… just this whole congregation… thank you for being what God, in Christ, has made you to be.

More Articles...

  1. Am I Entitled? If So, Why?
  2. Asking For Money
  3. Can't Live On Baloney Alone
  4. Christmas Past
  5. Columbine
  6. Dateline and the Public School
  7. Do You Believe In God
  8. Does God Want Me To Be Happy?
  9. Fixing the Dishwasher
  10. Forgiveness and Consequences
  11. Gadgets and God
  12. Get Used To What?
  13. God Loves the Geeks
  14. Going Back
  15. Hey! I'm Only Human
  16. Its The Company That Counts, Not The Calories Counted!
  17. Jesse Ventura, The Church A Crutch
  18. Jesus Was A Fetus Once
  19. Let The Child Decide
  20. Lizzy
  21. Looking For Joy In Wrong Places
  22. Lost and Found
  23. Lying, Etc.
  24. New Baby
  25. No Santa??! Come On!!!
  26. Only The Pig Thinks the Sty is Home
  27. Our Understanding Can Be Undependable
  28. Parenting Comes After
  29. Passing, Uniforms, Bad People and You
  30. Poverty, Almost Guaranteed
  31. Reaching Into the File
  32. Rights
  33. Self-Esteem
  34. Sense and Nonsense
  35. Sinbuns - To Die For
  36. Some Thoughts On Freedom
  37. Surprise
  38. Talk About Commitment
  39. Ten Lies About God
  40. Terrorism - And Nonsense
  41. To New Guinea and Back
  42. Too Many Choices
  43. Undeserving, But I'll Take It
  44. Wait 'till Next Year
  45. What I Give Shows Something
  46. What We Believe (True/False)
  47. Where's The Money?
  48. Why Do We Remember?
  49. Wrong Moral Decisions
  50. Y2K

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