One day when the residents of New England woke up, they quickly noticed a darkness seeming to descend on their community. As the early morning gave way toward noon, it became noticeably dark. By 2:00 p.m. the cows headed back to their barns and the night birds came out. It was May 19, 1780. They lit more candles and oil lamps; people began to fear that judgment day was at hand. According to one Boston newspaper account,  “a portentous omen of the wrath of Heaven in vengeance denounced against the land … the immediate harbinger of the last day, when the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light.”  The unexplained darkness lasted about 19 hours, with no stars visible in the night sky. There was no solar eclipse that day. It would be more than a century until the probable explanation was found—a ferocious Canadian forest fire mixed with clouds and fog had sent ash and soot across New England. The traumatizing day left its mark.

Faced with a visible doom, some people raced for refuge into churches to make their peace with God. Some just cowered in fear. In Connecticut, when legislators considered ending their session early, Councilman Abraham Davenport proclaimed. “If it is the end of the world, I want to be found doing my duty.” How are we supposed to respond when deep fear shows up on our doorstep? Physical danger calls for quick actions to get out of the way and cries for help to others. Circumstantial crises, like money, food, jobs, or health changes call for availing of community resources. Emotional and spiritual fears call for wise counsel. I suggest that admitting or naming your fear is the healthiest first step. Step two is opening the door of faith. Step three is to invite God to help you dig deeper to uncover what may really be the issue at hand. Ask yourself what you are fearful of and why are you so afraid. Things that trigger our fears are wrapped in many emotions.

The reality is that many would like to “claim faith” when confronting fearful things, yet they do not really trust that God is trustworthy. Jesus teaches us to Take up your cross daily. Trusting God and being obedient is our daily spiritual battle. Jesus faced it in the garden of Gethsemane. We must find our confidence in the Lord before faith can overcome our fears. The darkest day in New England ended, but the light revealed there was still a mess of cleanup to do. And no one alive that day ever knew why the darkness came.

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Our God is trustworthy. And let’s experience the love and power of God together.

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No one enjoys being played for a fool or a sucker. Upon deeper examination it seems the famous con artists are surprisingly gullible. One example is P.T. Barnum (1810-1891.) His is the famous phrase “There’s a sucker born every day.” If he really said it, he was talking about himself. I read his autobiography when I was a teen. (A reminder that all autobiographers shape the story of the themselves in their own image—not precisely accurate.)  Phineas Taylor Barnum wrote in his book that when he was born, his grandfather deeded to him a piece of property called Ivy Island. He was reminded throughout his childhood that he owned Ivy Island and dreamed of the adventures he would have on his personal island one day. When he was 10, he finally saw Ivy Island. “It was a worthless piece of barren land,” he wrote. The joke was on him. He was 15 when his father died. He became sole provider for his mother and five sisters and brothers. P.T. Barnum understood disappointment and pain yet somehow discovered the strength and courage to embrace life. How do you handle your disappointments?  

Around age 30, P.T. Barnum wanted to buy what would be his first museum of curiosities. He was not able to raise much money, so he made a deal. He mortgaged himself to the building’s owner, proposing for collateral: good references, a determination to succeed, and a “valuable and sentimental” piece of property known as Ivy Island. A year later he was out of that debt. In his 40’s, Barnum took positions against slavery and for temperance. He was nearly 70 when he teamed with James Bailey to provide “The Greatest Show on Earth.”  If you read Barnum’s whole story, you will discover he spent his life using and abusing people for money and fame. He allowed his disappointments to misshape his heart and relationships. Sadly, it all became part of his con game.

It is my observation that people tend to undervalue their victories and overrate their disappointments. We undervalue our victories, joys, and successes with words such as, “It was just lucky,” “I happened to be in the right place,” or “It’s no big deal.” We overrate our disappointments with words such as, “Things never work out for me,” “No one understands,” or “I always get the raw deal.” If I’m not careful, I can nurse my disappointments as if they are wounds that will never heal. If I’m not careful, I can focus on the circumstances around me rather than on the Spirit that forever holds me.

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Choose the way of Jesus. And let’s experience the love and power of God together.

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One of the true joys of faithful churches is found in the opportunity to plant new churches. Our church has been blessed to help organize three strong churches: Belview, Southwood, and Monte Los Olivos. Each of these congregations was born out of a committed group of lay leaders who saw a greater vision for God’s kingdom. I highlighted in 2022 the remarkable vision of our church to send nearly 100 members, in concert with our local association of churches, to plant the Belview Baptist Church on north Yale Ave.

Tulsa’s Southwood Baptist Church is a story of faith, adversity, and victory. In 1975, our church, under the leadership of J. Ray Smith, one of our deacons, outlined a vision for a new congregation in southeast Tulsa. Mr. Smith had located a piece of property on 41^st Street south near where Highway 169 would one day be extended south. I was on the Missions Committee of our Association at the time. One of our tasks was to locate and purchase future property for new church starts. The association soon purchased the property. In August of 1976, I received a phone call concerning a possible new mission start. I met with the fledgling church group and subsequently our church voted to help them become a new church. Our church led the organizing council in September 1976. They met for a while at the former Mayo Elementary School, but later we invited them to share our facilities while they raised the funds to build on the 41^st streetproperty.

In the late 1980’s, Southwood found themselves in a financial crisis due to a balloon payment due on their church bonds, and the savings and loans banking crisis across the country. Our church stepped up to help them weather that stormby endorsing a plan for refinancing their debt. It never cost our church any money, just faith and much prayer. Southwood has always been known for its community outreach with the nearby Roy Clark Elementary school, providing hospitality with food and clothes, English as a second language classes, and as a lighthouse of wise counsel for those needing salvation and renewal. Sunday, September 27th, Southwood Baptist Church will celebrate its 50^th Anniversary. What a fellowship!

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Share the joy. And let’s experience the love and power of God together.

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​This week marks the 25th anniversary observance of the 9/11 attack on the United States. I am always surprised by the emotions I feel about a story from long ago that I thought I knew so well. We reflected on the on-going impact of that day duringlast Sunday’s service. Dorothy and I, along with our daughters,visited the Memorial site in 2018. While we were in New York City, Dorothy and I attended the Broadway show, Come From Away. It is a musical play based on a true story of the days following the attack. 

​Come From Away is about the little community of Ganger, Newfoundland, the home to a little-used international airline refueling station. On September 11, 2001, every airplane going or coming to the U.S. was required to land immediately. The Ganger runway was big enough to land some of the international flights. In fact, 7,000 passengers, including infants and crew members from 38 airplanes, found themselves stranded in Ganger with nowhere to go and nothing to do. This story tells of the generous and heroic efforts of the townspeople to open their homes to these strangers in distress. And no one knew for how long they would be stranded there. Or the fact that nearly all the planes had animals on board! And of course, manyinternationals did not speak English or French Canadian. “Come from aways” are what Newfoundlanders call visitors. You can watch some clips of the production on the internet. 

​This is the story of people rising to meet a dramatic and uncertain situation. It brings to life the power of hospitality to transform times of distress to the good. Hospitality is the power to bless others. In the play, there are themes centered around fear and grief, neighborly love for strangers, with a kind of loaves and fishes quality about it all. The passengers were sheltered for5 or 6 days. At the end of the performance we attended, during the standing ovation, a small group of young people in front of us clapped vigorously. One young lady exclaimed for all to hear, “I have never been so proud to be a Canadian!”  

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Bless the come from aways you encounter. And let’s experience the love and power of God together.

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Several have been asking how I have been doing these days. I have nothing to hide —transparency is always best — but I also don’t want to generate pity. No matter what, we keep looking to Jesus with gratitude, but these past several months for me have been really challenging.

Since March, I have had to be bedbound more than not. In fact, I typically only have a few hours a day when I can be on the wheelchair to work on my computer. It is getting harder and harder for me to be on Facebook or Zoom. Even using WhatsApp on my phone has become challenging.

Worse, physical decline from multiple sclerosis keeps happening. Weakness increases; dexterity decreases. Muscle spasms keep getting worse. As I begin to adapt to a new normal, the bar keeps lowering. It is not uncommon now during times of great weakness to have to be spoon fed. Such needs show me that I deal with some arrogance because I just don’t like it at all. “Dear Lord, I am 51. Not 101.”

The greatest difficulty is not being able to serve others like I want. Certainly not in person and less and less virtually. But I cannot stay here — in this place of self-pity — because there is still much to do. Much for which to be thankful. After focusing on Scripture passages, I have many hours a day to pray. I have several hours a day to listen to audio books from the library.

I have greatly enjoyed hearing autobiographies and biographies from those serving in Kenya like Charles Mulli, China like Charlotte (Lottie) Moon, and India like Sundar Singh. I have heard memoirs from those like Pope Francis, Beth Moore, and even those like the Dalai Lama. I have heard memoirs from Muslims, both from those who have begun following Jesus and from those who never have. We pray that they encounter Him soon!

There are billions across the nations who need to know that they have been lovingly created. Come, Lord Jesus! Come and deliver and save!

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I last shared a reflection on The Lord’s Prayer from an unknown author for the May 23, 2025 edition of The Evangel. You can find it at our church website, www.BradenPark.org. This week I want to write about the requests made in this prayer Jesus taught His disciples. All true prayers begin at a place of personal humility and continue in that spirit through to the end. Jesus’ prayer is no exception. His very first request, or ask of God, is Hallowed be Thy name. This echoes the commandment not to take the Lord God’s name in vain—to misuse it or profane it. Rather it’s a request to recognize that invoking the Lord God’s name is a holy and sacred privilege. 

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven, is both an invitation for the Lord’s immediate presence in our daily living, but also for the earthly governing structures of our times to be overthrown. This is a treasonous prayer in the eyes of those who would lord over the kingdoms, people, land and resources of our world. Replacing the structures of our world with the heavenly order of justice and peace is a revolutionary request.

Give us this day our daily bread reflects the gift of manna in our wilderness journeys in this world. It reminds us that we are not as self-sufficient as we pretend to be. We are not the source of life or sustenance. It teaches us the provision of God. Forgive us our sins (debts/trespasses) is the confession of our sinfulness, and the ways we have not only fallen short of God’s standards, but an opportunity to name our sins, recognizing the hold our sins have on our lives. As we forgive those who sin against us points out our unresolved conflicts, stored-up hurts and bitterness, and the release that comes only with forgiveness. How long can you hold a grudge? How willing are you to forgive like God does?

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil is the asking for God-directed steps as we map out our day. It recognizes the habitual opportunities that take us off the pathway, as well as the overwhelming calls and urges to walk away from the Lord completely and surrender to evil. Deliverance comes by surrendering to God’s Holy Spirit.

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Ask humbly. And let’s experience the love and power of God together.

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When did you last experience a time of serenity? Serenity is defined as a state of utter calm and unruffled repose or quietude. (Miriam-Webster) It is unhurried peacefulness. The familiar Serenity Prayer was first written for a sermon by Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971) in the early 1930’s. Niebuhr was a Reformed Protestant pastor who came to notice in Detroit as he advocated for the causes of the working man and opposed the forces of bigotry in all its forms. He became a professor of theology at Union Theological Seminary in New York for more than 30 years. His writings have influenced many prominent leaders of our time. But it is this prayer for Serenity that has influenced most directly millions of people. Popularized as a key element in the Alcoholics Anonymous movement, it is also known as the AA Prayer:

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;

taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it;

trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life

 and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen

Like the simple prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, this prayer also begins at a place of personal humility. In the more generic terminology of AA, recognizing a Higher Power and that we are not that power. This is a prayer to slow down emotionally and not get too far ahead of ourselves. To look for the light even in the darkest struggles. It is a call for insight, mindfulness and a clearer perspective of the beauty, goodness and strength within and around us. Niebuhr wrote this prayer reflecting on Christ’s way of the cross and the need to accept suffering as a path to inner peace; the embrace of faith to see us through and the hope that a better life is before us.

 Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Seek serenity. And let’s experience the love and power of God together.

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August was designated “birthday month” by our daughters many, many years ago. August is their birthday month; August 15, the day. (Which makes February 15 their half-birthday, which they never successfully managed to officially get recognized as a gift-receiving day.) It started like this:

At 3:15 a.m. on August 15, Dorothy woke up to announce a baby seemed ready to be born. After some profound questions like “Are you sure?” and “Really?” I got up, got dressed, and took her to the car. We leisurely arrived at the hospital with plenty of time for our baby to be born.  Dorothy and I were somewhat surprised that her on-call doctor was her friend Saundra’s husband, who had recently joined the partnership of Dorothy’s obstetrician. Dorothy had known Saundra and Charles since their high school days. After the brief awkwardness passed, they settled down to business and Donelle was born at 11:55 a.m. Charles could not wait to call Saundra and tell her the news.

At 3:15 a.m. on August 15, Dorothy woke up to announce a baby seemed ready to be born. After some profound questions like “Are you sure?” and “Really?” I got up, got dressed, picked up Donelle, carried her to the car, and then got Dorothy. On the way to drop Donelle off with a church family, Donelle prophesied, “I’m going to have a pink birthday.” This was before the days of ultrasounds. When we arrived at the hospital every labor room was occupied and other women in labor were waiting on gurneys in the hallway. Dorothy bumped to the head of that line, and was quickly placed in a delivery room that was still being cleaned up. The nurse asked her to wait a few minutes until the doctor arrived, but she respectfully declined. The doctor appeared just as he was needed and Dayna was born at 6:14 a.m. Donelle celebrated her third birthday that evening with a “pink party.”

Do you know your birth story? We all have one. If you do not know, ask someone who might remember. You just might be surprised at what you learn about yourself. Our birth stories have the power to demonstrate just how strong, inside, we really are. What about your other birth story? The one about the time you were born into God’s eternal family? What do you remember? What has it shown you about yourself? How do you celebrate it?

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Celebrate your new birth. And let’s experience the love and power of God together.

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This is a rerun from the time of Covid.

As the designated adventurer at our house, I am the grocery shopper for more than a year now. I have learned that pimentos are never located on the olive aisle and that Velveeta cheese is located wherever the last tired stocker set them down because it is not a cheese. I have learned to eat my shopping mistakes. Try as I might, apparently chocolate-dipped ice-cream bars do not qualify as a shopping mistake. The actual worst of my grocery mistakes was just a few weeks ago. My assignment was to get a can of old-fashioned quick-cooking steel-cut oatmeal. I honestly thought I did. But I didn’t. I got old-fashioned steel-cut Irish Oatmeal in a can, 1 pound and 12 ounces net weight. It did not say quick-cooking or fast-cooking or 10-minute quick oatmeal. Dorothy noticed immediately. It was decided that we would press ahead. There was a winter storm in the forecast.

Upon reading the fine print on the back of the can, we learned that the shortcut method was to boil water in a pot, add the oatmeal, stir and boil for 5 minutes. Cover the pot and store it in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, put the pot back on the stove, bring it to a boil and stir it for another 9-12 minutes. By my estimation, the shortcut method takes about 25 hours. We opted for the traditional method—30 minutes on the range. I also noticed that the recipe kept referring to this as porridge. I remember porridge as something Little Orphan Annie had to eat, with a big frown on her face. Porridge is oatmeal, flax and other bird seeds boiled in a big pot, which is stirred constantly until you are done. It suggests you add buttermilk or honey and brown sugar suitable to taste. Our pot of porridge lasted for days. We tried syrup and apple sauce with cinnamon on it and we tried smothering it with various flavored yogurts. Our final attempt was to use a large amount of pumpkin pie filling. That actually tasted best. By the way, porridge diluted to a thin, watery state is called gruel. It was used to help the sick get well. It tastes worse than it sounds.

We make mistakes. We try to hide them, own them, or make up for them. The best policy is to admit them, deal with them, and learn from them. We still have a pound or so of the oatmeal left in the can. It will keep.

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Press ahead.  And let’s experience the love and power of God together.

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We have now lived long enough to witness the age of robots learning how to think, and cars learning how to fly. At the local gas station chain, a Roomba-like box cleans the floors. It politely moves out of the way when someone’s path is blocked. At the University of Tulsa, similar timed devices mow the acres of campus grass only stopping to plug themselves-in and recharge. On the campus sidewalks, ice-chest-sized containers deliver meals or supplies to individual students, classrooms, dorms and apartments. The robots are learning how to make decisions. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is really programed learning. Teaching a computer to make wise, safe, and ethical decisions at lightning speed is now a moral dilemma for this generation. Good decision-making is very difficult for real people with actual intelligence. People need God’s help with that.

An actual flying car landed at the airport’s Air and Space Museum to be a part of the Route 66 Centennial Classic Car Show. It did not participate in the 3,596-car Guiness Book of World Records Classic Car Parade (and traffic jam) that day. The flying car is a modified piloted Drone, like a large radio-controlled model airplane. 

This week’s news held an announcement of a drone delivery service, Manna Air Delivery, soon to be operating out of nearly 20 locations across the Tulsa metropolitan area.  This drone delivery service is a necessary first step for people to pioneer personal flying cars.  According to the Tulsa World of July 21, 2026, Manna Air Delivery has made over 400,000 accident-free deliveries from their home bases in Ireland. They will deliver shoe-box-sized packages of restaurant meals and other things. The drone will hover 50 feet above the destination, lower the package on a cord to the ground, let it go and return to its base. Cameras, radar, and real people are to guide everything. I suspect that prayer may become a part of the process also. Welcome to the future!

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Keep looking up. And let’s experience the love and power of God together.

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