Ministry in Motion

In the USA 25%   of all annual candy sales occur during the Halloween season. Halloween, by some accounts, is a 9 billion dollar affair. What makes Halloween so popular? Perhaps it's the novelty of ‘trick to treat’ or the clever costumes or … maybe it’s just the free candy.   The conversations surrounding the celebration of Halloween have become a hot topic in many Christian circles.   I’ve heard the debates and they seemed to have ramped up over recent years.  Is Halloween harmless fun or something dark, evil and sinister? These exchanges may even be producing a growing division among seemingly otherwise unified believers.  Do the rhythms of Halloween 2019 fit with the understanding of the Christian faith? Paul’s writing to the Philippines reminds us to focus on those things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, etc. (Philippians 4:8) . So maybe families of faith should avoid Halloween. Cool. Conversely, other Christians say God is not offended by ca

George MacDonald was a Scottish author, poet and Christian minister. He was a mentor of fellow writer Lewis Carroll. Listen to this quote by MacDonald: Do you love your faith so little that you have never battled a single fear  lest your faith should not be true?   Where there are no doubts, no questions,  no perplexities, there can be no growth. Part of my personal story over the past seven years involves my own journey away from sub-standard certitude and moving towards a more authentic faith. Certainty is a poor substitute for authentic faith. Certitude is popular; it’s popular because it’s easy. It's easy…until it’s not. From time to time we have to wrestle with questions, with doubt to arrive at real faith. Certainty can’t be bothered with all that.   Real faith makes room for doubt and questions. Real faith gives us space to work out our salvation — understanding that the effort to believe is the very thing that makes doubt possible.   Real faith is not af

There’s a big difference between liking Jesus  and being like Jesus. What is Christlikeness?  The simple, theologically sophomoric, definition is a person who has qualities like Jesus Christ. Paul wrote to the church at  Corinth saying: “…Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ…”   Being Christ like says we are a kind, forgiving, sincere, caring and accepting person.   “… Those who say they live in God should   live their lives as Jesus did…” 1 John 2:6 Perfect God,  Broken Man.  What forms our  identity as Christians, but the patterns of our lives in direct reflection of the life of Jesus. Consider the early 1900’s   musical lyrics from James Rowe: 🎶 Earthly pleasures vainly call me; I would be like Jesus; Nothing worldly shall enthrall me; I would be like Jesus.  Be like Jesus, this is my song… Easier said than done. Perhaps it seemed like a good idea in 1900, but is it doable today? What might that look like in 2019? Hint - it looks like servanthood.

We aren't pulling the wool over your eyes!  Clean new socks are good for the soul;  new socks change lives.  #Soxtoberfest - it’s a movement we’ve done for a couple of years; It’s a hoot for our grown-ups and teenagers; Just another way to be  the church outside the church . We share a meal and laugh a lot and stuff hundreds of pairs of tube socks, with bunches of personal care items and yummy snacks,  to share with our brothers and sisters who call the streets of Houston Texas their home. Join us Wednesday October 9th @ 6:30pm   If you can’t team up with us in person, feel free to partner with us electronically. For  a gift of $10 you can help us distribute hundreds of pairs of new, much needed, stuffed socks. Very Cool! #pkes Donate   /  Directions   All gifts are tax-deductible and a year-end giving statement is prepared and sent, the end of each January.   Ministry in Motion is a Texas Nonprofit Tax Exempt 501(c)(3) corporation under the 

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister they called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to her guest, Jesus, and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” When Jesus arrives at their home, there is a clear contrast in behavior between the sisters, Mary and Martha . While Martha was in the presence of the Prince of Peace she was also the picture of stress. Why? As a result of her Martha’s stress, her building resentment, she  finally lashes out. Martha focuses her tension on her sister, bad-mouthing her to Jesus. And, isn’t that just like stress? It causes us to: become easily agitated, frustrated, and moody; Feel overwhelmed, like you are losing control or need to take control; Have difficulty relaxing and quieting your