Random Thoughts 1/27/05

• We had the good pleasure of having Wanda Bibbs speak at our church last Sunday. She gave a presentation about Grace Center, a Maternity Shelter in Kansas City, Ks. What's a maternity shelter? It's a home for girls who choose not to have an abortion. They are given a room, education, training, and support for up to a year after the baby is born. Few things in life are literally life and death, but this is. It's saving the lives of these girls and their babies; may God bless them all.
• Speaking of death, I think I have discovered three criteria for what makes a good funeral: correlation, tact, and brevity. First, a funeral that is generic is an insult to the deceased and loved ones; it must match some aspect of the person being memorialized or it's lost its purpose. Second, it must be appropriate for the moment. Most funerals are not a good place for heavy-handed evangelistic appeals, political grandstanding, or group therapy. Funerals are also not a good moment to be irreverent, as it belittles both the deceased and God's promises. Humor can be used in addition to but not in place of reverence. And finally, keep it brief. If the preacher can't say it in 10 or 15 minutes it can't be said, so stop trying. This isn't the place for a seven point homily or a Bible study. Make one point and make it well. It's all that the bereaved can absorb at this time. When I do a funeral service it's usually less than half an hour.
  
• The Arena Football League begins their season tonight. The Kansas City Brigade starts with two away games before their home opener at Kemper Arena in February. The Brigade has an all-pro two-way player (tight end/linebacker) and a veteran QB; this could be cool! I've never really watched the Arena League before, but now that they're fifteen minutes from my house, I'd kind of like to go to a game. The games are all televised on NBC, Fox Sports Net, Comcast cable, or WB 62.
• The Chiefs are still active in this offseason. They are sending Tulsa QB James Kilian to Europe to play football this spring, along with several other scrubs including DE Eddie Freeman. Maybe Kilian will be the young replacement for Trent Green someday! By the way, Green was named to the Pro Bowl today to replace an injured Tom Brady.
• Sunday we're having a Baby Recognition ceremony. The parents of children born in the 2005 calendar year will be given a charge to raise their children in loving, Christian homes and to teach them to fear the Lord. We have four more boys this year (boys have outnumbered girls probably 4-to-1 in recent years) but we're already up 2 girls to 1 boy for next year.