Author: vancecrains
-
Hoping for the best. Prepared for the worst. Praying, no matter what happens.
All we can do, now, is wait. Hurricane Irma – a historically strong, potentially-catastrophe-causing storm – is heading this way. All forecasts indicate that Southeast Florida, where I live, is very likely the target. Maybe not. Likely so. For now, all we can do is wait We’ve purchased hurricane supplies.…
-
“Seek Simple” – the first of a 5-week sermon series, called “Simple,” preached at First Church oral Springs on Sunday, August 20, 2017
St. Francis… One of my spiritual heroes is St. Francis. Francis was born in Italy, near the end of the 12th century. His father was a wealthy cloth merchant – so Francis grew up in wealth, ease and luxury. But, after a long illness, Francis experienced a radical spiritual…
-
“More” – a sermon preached at First Church Coral Springs on August 13, 2017
Possibilities… It was the last semester of my last year of college. I was facing the reality of impending adulthood; and, I wasn’t ready. I was about to graduate, but I had partied my way through college. My degree was unmarketable. My grades were pathetic. I didn’t have any real-world…
-
Monuments of Shame
During my college years, I was quite enamored with beer. I’m not proud of that. But, it’s the truth. My love affair with beer became a destructive habit that damaged relationships, hindered my maturation and education, and cast a permanent dark cloud over that chapter of my life. I not…
-
Charlottesville – Symptoms of a Deeper Disease
As yesterday’s events, in Charlottesville, VA, were unfolding – white supremacist rallies and counter rallies, leading to violence and death – I happened to be finishing T.H. White’s novel, The Once and Future King. The Once and Future King is White’s retelling of the Arthurian legend of King Arthur, Merlin, Camelot,…
-
“Release” – the 5th Sermon in a Series Called, “The 40-Day Summer Stretch,” Preached at First Church Coral Springs, on Sunday, July 23, 2017
Stupid Monkeys… One technique for catching monkeys is to drill a hole in a coconut, just large enough for the monkey to slip his hand through, and fill it with rice. When the monkey reaches in, to grab a fist-full of rice, he’s trapped, because his full-fist is too big…
-
“Look!” The Fourth Sermon in a Series Called “The 2017 Summer Stretch,” Preached at First Church Coral Springs on July 16, 2017
Last Sunday, we watched a video, in which the Kid President advised us, “Before you say something about the BBQ sauce on someone’s else’s shirt, take a look at the BBQ sauce on your own shirt.” I don’t know about you, but that sounded very familiar to me. Like when…
-
Bless – The Third Sermon in a Series Called “The 2017 Summer Stretch,” Preached at First Church Coral Springs on July 9, 2017
I’m friends with a Nazarene pastor named Jay. We worked on our doctoral degrees together. On the whole, Nazarenes tend to be pretty conservative about lots of things – especially their behavior. Historically, they don’t go to movies, don’t drink, don’t dance, don’t wear jewelry, don’t gamble, etc., etc. …
-
The Unquenchable Thirst of Grief
I recently led a memorial service for a 23-year-old man, whose family attends my church. 23-years-old is obviously too young to die, so his death was unexpected, a terrible shock, and particularly tragic. After years of addiction, successful recovery, and then a recent relapse, he died of a drug overdose. …
-
Q&A
I’m spending this week at the Warren W. Willis United Methodist Youth Camp, in Fruitland Park, Florida, as the Senior High pastor. I didn’t attend this camp as a camper. But, I’ve been coming to this camp as an adult volunteer (primarily as the Senior High pastor) for one week…
vancerains.com 