Author: vancecrains
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Thin Places
As I was reading this morning, I came across this statement in James K. A. Smith’s, You Are What You Love… “We might say the sacramental power of Christian worship “enchants” our everyday lives, reminding us that the world we inhabit is not flattened “nature” but rather a creation charged with…
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30 years ago, tonight…
At 9:00 pm, 30 years ago, tonight, we were lowering the gate to the entrance of Champs Sporting Goods, at the Fashion Square Mall, in Orlando, where I worked (primarily selling athletic shoes – selling shoes has always been my back-up profession, in case ministry doesn’t work out). As I…
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An Embarrassment of Riches…
I’d never heard that idiom before today – “an embarrassment of riches.” But, it’s perfectly apropos for today. But, first, a backstory. A couple of weeks back, I saw an ad for 4 large bonsai trees for $90. Frankly, the pictures didn’t look great. But, the pots were large, and…
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Restored Minds – the 5th message in a sermon series called “Restoration,” preached on April 2, 2017 at First Church of Coral Springs
We’ve been talking, lately, about how God takes broken things and restores them into something new. Today, I want to talk about the most broken thing of all – our minds. I’m sorry to tell you this – you have broken mind and it needs restoration. If you think I’m…
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I was wrong…
I’ve been wrong. I’ve been wrong a lot. My parents, my wife, my friends, my coworkers and my children can all confirm that I’ve been wrong. I’ve made wrong decisions and wrong choices. I’ve been on the wrong side of arguments. I’ve been wrong about people – sometimes trusting people I…
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Home
The home, pictured above, is the setting of two of my favorite movies – “Father of the Bride” and “Father of the Bride, II.” It is the movie-home of the fictional Banks family, where George and Nina Banks lovingly raised their three children – including late night one-on-one basketball games…
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Foreknowing, Causing, Allowing…
In my Lenten small group, this morning, we were debating if God allows tragedy, causes tragedy, or both. Though the word wasn’t used this morning, God’s foreknowledge also comes into play. If God knows everything, then God knows what is going to happen in advance. If God knows a tragic…
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We’re All Mad Here…
I just finished the manuscript for Sunday’s sermon. Unfortunately, I had to cut a quote a I planned to use from Alice in Wonderland, “You’re mad, bonkers, completely off your head. But I’ll tell you a secret. All the best people are.” Confession: Sometimes, when I am preaching, a little voice…
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Muscle Memory
I used to be very involved in Martial Arts – Kenpo Karate, Modern Arnis, and Kickboxing. I spent hours upon hours at the dojo, eventually earning my black belt, and even helping with the classes. I loved it, and grieved when I had to give it up (my body just couldn’t…
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Embracing the Grey
I had a very random conversation with a complete stranger, yesterday. He said that the hot issue many counselors/therapists/psychotherapists are dealing with, lately, is how to help their clients deal with friends and family, with whom they have differing political views. His point was that, in our current political climate, friends…
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