Nightmares, Prayers, and Grace

As most of you know and will readily agree, prayer is a wonderful privilege: We enter into God’s presence with our praises and petitions, knowing that He remembers our frame and that we are dust, and that we are His beloved children, and that His loving kindness and marvelous grace are abundant and sufficient. But reminders of such are always appropriate, so I am sharing a “TRBC Times” article that I wrote for our church publication in August 2003.

As I write these lines, our daughter is in the intensive care unit of St. Francis Hospital. She underwent an emergency appendectomy two days ago, and she is fighting off infection that, if not checked by some high-powered antibiotics, could end her life on this earth.

I have seen hundreds of folk off to surgery, but this Saturday was the most difficult ever. We did not know what the doctor would find. It was suggested that a mass might be discovered. Unbridled, my mind raced from bad scenarios to worse. It was an agonizing two-and-one-half-hour wait. The surgeon’s report was something of a relief, as we learned that an appendix was the culprit. The bad news was that it had begun to leak, and thus Marti would have to fight off the infection. As I write these lines, her body is mounting a fierce struggle against foreign invaders. Many people far and near are praying for her recovery.

Times such as these provide us opportunities to learn. Not that we would ever choose such an opportunity, but when they come our way, we have no choice but to live the experience out and try to draw upon His grace to get us through. I have so much to learn. I am learning. Please allow me to attempt to put onto paper a few of the things that I am struck with because of this nightmare:

  1.  Our family is so much a part of the fabric of our lives. Others are very important, but one’s flesh and blood is your life. We take each other for granted too much. We assume things will always be alright. When an earthquake rocks our foundation, then things become so trivial and people so crucial. We do not tell each other often enough, ‘I love you.’
  2. Things happen so fast. One moment you’ve got life on cruise control, and then around the next corner there’s a major pile-up. It all comes so quickly and without time to prepare. The frames of our life freeze and everything has a different perspective.
  3. Prayer is so important. Not only your prayers but the prayers of anyone who believes in prayer. We can listen to or read lists with a certain detachment until our flesh and blood is one of those names. Then, the prayers of those who believe become huge. We can never overestimate the privilege and power of prayer.
  4. God’s ways are inscrutable. Bottom line must ever be, ‘Thy will be done.’  Don’t try to rationalize it or even understand or explain it. God loves us with an everlasting love, and whatever He allows to come our way has to be seen through those lenses. And we know there is a purpose for His glory.
  5. A support group of people of like precious faith is of incalculable worth. What a blessing the dear folk of Thompson Road Baptist Church are to us. We are surrounded by a family that loves us. A hug. A handshake. A hand on the shoulder. A phone call. A card and word of encouragement. All are priceless.

As Marti was rolled to the operating room, I bent over to kiss her cheek. After surgery she mentioned that to Ellen. I have never been very openly affectionate with my family. I feel very deeply for them and love each more than I can tell. But hugs and kisses have never been a part of my expression. In my heart, I have vowed that has to change. I can’t wait until my little girl is well enough to give her a great big hug and kiss. Too bad we are so slow to get it, and that it takes a major crisis to show us where we need to make some changes. I am sure there are many other lessons I will learn through this experience. Stay tuned~

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

(2026 Update: Little could I have known that in less than four years (April 2007) from the time that we almost lost Marti through an appendicitis infection, her precious son, eleven-year old David, would be called into God’s presence—ironically, due to a ruptured appendix that initially was mistaken by medical personnel for the flu. The pain was almost unbearable, and none of us have ever gotten over it entirely, but the grace God is getting us through it still, day by day. Prayer and the unshakeable confidence in the truth of the above verse, Romans 8:28, plus the always abundant grace of our great God, have made the difference. I hope everyone who reads this knows Him personally. If it has not yet happened, one day it will: a phone call, a knock on the door, a diagnosis in a special hospital counseling room—and your “nightmare” will happen; then you will know, as you have never known, the power and preeminence of prayer, and the greatness of His abundant grace. Suffering is inevitable; getting through it is possible, and only with the help of Him who loved us and gave His Son to die for us. Accept Him today if you have not yet done so!)

A Good Report

Ever notice how bad news travels fast while good news barely makes the rounds?

Case in point: when George H.W. Bush was president, he once collapsed at a state dinner in Japan. The news traveled instantly, of course, and one major network was poised to go on the air with the bogus report (which was canceled at the last minute) that President Bush had died. Bad news does indeed travel with lightning speed.

How about good news? Let’s see: how long does it take you—if you listen to or watch the news regularly—to think of some really good news that you have heard? Well, one might have to ponder that question for a few minutes—though, thankfully, there are broadcasts that do feature positive, encouraging stories regularly.

Good reports are crucial in the health of a body, a nation, a church, a business, or any organization. The opposite of a good report is an evil, or bad, report. Evil reports are disseminated by whisperers (who secretly or privately pass on a bad story: “All they that hate me whisper against me” (Ps. 41:7); gossips (who magnify and sensationalize rumors or partial information); slanderers (who seek to destroy another person’s reputation or credibility with damaging facts); and busybodies (who dig up evil reports and spread them through gossip, whispering, slandering). Evil reports are communicated through words, facial expressions, gestures, and tones. Each can be one of Satan’s devices.

But what is a good report? How does one give a good report? What does a good report do? How can one avoid an evil report? Solomon, in his book of Proverbial wisdom, is my primary source.

  1. What is a good report?
    • It may conceal secrets that could damage a person: “A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.” (Provs. 11:13) “Hatred stirreth up strife: but love covereth all sins.” (Provs. 10:12)
    • It helps instead of hurts: “A true witness delivereth souls, but a deceitful witness speaketh lies.” (Provs. 14:25)
    • It is of excellent speech: “Excellent speech becometh not a fool….” (braggart, grumbler, vulgar). (Provs. 17:7) “A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth, and a word fitly spoken in due season, how good it is!” (Provs. 15:23)
    • It is born of thought: “The heart of the righteous studieth to answer.” (Provs. 15:28)
    • It is couched in wholesome words: “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.” (Provs. 15:4)
  2. How do you give a good report?
    • By telling the truth; by revealing information that is helpful; by withholding information that is hurtful; by speaking that which edifies (cf. Numbers 13:32 and Numbers 14:7,8 for a comparison of what a positive report versus an evil report will do).
  3. What does a good report do?
    • It protects people: “A man that beareth false witness against his neighbor is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.” (Provs. 25:18)
    • It promotes truth: “He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit.” (Provs. 12:17)
    • It promotes health: “There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.” (Provs. 12:18)
    • It provides encouragement: “The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.” (Provs. 10:21)
    • It prevents destruction: “Where no wood is there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.” (Provs. 26:20)
    • It prompts peace: “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” (Provs. 15:1)
  4. How to detect and avoid carriers of an evil report.
    • They usually check for acceptance by asking for your opinion about someone, or by dropping a negative comment about a person first.
    • They may create curiosity: “Have you noticed how so and so has been acting lately?”
    • They may disguise it by asking for counsel or by asking for prayer.
    • They will often disclaim credit: “Don’t quote me on this but….”
    • A look of disapproval will often discourage someone who wants to share an evil report: “The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.” (Provs. 25:23)

In II Samuel 15, verses 1-6, there is an example of what a person with an evil report can do. The main character is a son of King David, Absalom. He is portrayed as one who rises early, stations himself at the gate, and waits for anyone who has a controversy on which he wants the King to render a judgment. Absalom hears the complaint, then answers that it is too bad no one is “deputed” by the King to hear his complaint. “Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which had any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice!” (II Sam. 15:1-6)

Well, you know how that story ended! Absalom spread evil reports about his father, resulting in an eventual insurrection against the King, who eventually had to leave his throne and Jerusalem…the end of the story…the tragic death of Absalom. Oh, what terrible consequences an evil report can wreak!

Be careful of the report you choose to pass on. Is it true? Helpful? Necessary? Uplifting? Edifying? Do not be party in listening to or passing on evil reports. Be careful. Be safe.

“The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.” (Provs. 14:15)

To Ukraine With Love

Thirty years ago, Evangelist Neil Cadwell visited Ukraine and, while there, fell in love with the country and its people. The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic had existed from 1922 to 1991. After the fall of the Soviet Union, it became an independent nation. Evangelist Cadwell came home from his trip to Ukraine and founded the Slavic Baptist Institute in 1996, for the purpose of assisting local Ukrainian churches in training leaders “grounded in biblical doctrine and sound ministry philosophy.” In the 30 years since its beginning, SBI has graduated 200 such men and women who are serving their churches, having been trained and equipped to be more effective leaders.

When Dr. Cadwell was called to his eternal home in 2017, Dr. Rick Arrowood became SBI’s director. Under his leadership the Bible Institute has continued, even as Ukraine fights to maintain its independence from Russia, which invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Slavic Baptist Mission (the umbrella organization that supports SBI, based in Muncie, Indiana) also supports several churches and pastors in other countries. In recent years, believers in Laos sent out an “SOS” to Missionary Derek Thomas (Julie). In response, the Thomases have begun a Bible Institute in Laos and another in India. Derek and Julie Thomas serve under the auspices of Slavic Baptist Mission. Laos Bible Institute was held its first graduation service in January of this year. There were 16 graduates and a student body of 72. A graduate-level program has been started that will offer twice-yearly sessions designed to “strengthen doctrinal foundation and sharpen ministry skills.” The gospel, through the Laos Bible Institute, is finding its way deeper into the country, with churches being organized and an orphanage being started. Similar evangelistic efforts in India are producing encouraging results in Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, and Kolkata. Missionary Derek Thomas writes: “We count it a joy to serve alongside faithful men in India and are deeply grateful for the expanding opportunities to strengthen national leaders and facilitate the proclamation of the gospel.” Three conferences were held in January, with around 150 pastors in one location and 75 and 35 in a second and third location.

Back to the ministry in Ukraine. Slavic Baptist Mission has distributed almost 20 million pounds of humanitarian aid and over one million New Testaments there since 2022, through an outreach known as COMPASSION FOR UKRAINE. The gospel has been given out, along with food and material aid, while churches have been started and believers strengthened.

Dr. Arrowood, with his wife, Dolly, travels thousands of land and air miles each year, introducing SBI to local churches and pastors. This year, Dr. Arrowood visited Ukraine and, with his assistant, Rev. Carl Lindermon, was present for the graduation service on this 30th year of the Institute. He was there when Russia unleashed a merciless attack on Kiev. The deadly missiles drove them, with their Ukrainian hosts, to basements and shelters for safety. I heard Bro. Arrowood say, “This trip was life-changing for me.” Churches and their members, who live with this daily in Ukraine, are testifying that war cannot stop the power of the gospel from reaching and changing the hearts of people. Churches are meeting with capacity crowds; people are being saved and added to the church. The ravages of war cannot mute the singing of God’s people, who gather together to worship; nor can it thwart the power of the Holy Spirit of God in regenerating men and women and children who trust in Him, calling upon Jesus Christ to save them from their sins.

It was my privilege to visit Ukraine in the late 1980s, just as the former Soviet Union was beginning to open up to the visits of foreigners. The late Evangelist Ed Nelson and myself, with a few other people, were guided by Natasha Vins as we visited believers—many of whom had suffered in Soviet prisons in Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg) and Ukraine (Kiev, Kharkov, Rostov on Don)—and preached, participated in the Lord’s Table, and conducted seminars for pastors. I too fell in love with the Russian and Ukrainian people. I had prayed for Natasha’s father and family for years before her father, the late Georgi Vins, was released from prison in a swap of Russian prisoners for some Russian spies who were being detained in America. The then-U.S. president, Jimmy Carter, negotiated this swap. So, every meeting in Russia and Ukraine was an experience that I had to pinch myself to see if it was real or not! After we landed in Moscow, taxiing to our hotel, we were stunned to see a huge billboard that read, “God Bless America!”

I was honored to serve on Brother Cadwell’s mission board, and I am serving still under the leadership of Dr. Arrowood, though in an “emeritus” capacity. I urge any pastor who reads this, or any lay person, to pray about and seriously consider having Dr. Arrowood present to your church the ministry of Slavic Baptist Mission. Through this faith ministry, the gospel is reaching into Ukraine and now Laos and India. This ministry needs partners; and it is certainly worthy of your prayers and help. Contact Dr. Arrowood at rickarrowood@slavicbaptistmission.org or by phone at (317) 504.4102.

“For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God.” (2 Cor.9:12)

The Doctrine of Doubtful Things

Here is a very partial list of things that have caused—at some time or another, in one place or another—division or offence between brothers in Christ. Some may be areas wherein you have definite convictions; others may not:

  •  Eating certain kinds of meat; drinking coffee or other beverages that contain caffeine or other stimulants; watching television and going to movies; swimming in a pubic pool or at a pubic beach; wearing certain kinds of clothing; eating in restaurants that serve alcohol; attending suppers served in a church gathering; singing in a church service to the accompaniment of a piano; sitting in a Sunday School classroom with members of the opposite sex; allowing pictures of Christ to be hung in our homes; attending a sporting event on Sunday; taking a job that requires one to work on Sunday; drinking alcohol at lunch, or “social drinking”; shopping in a store that sells beer or alcohol.

Most of the above will seem archaic to today’s readers. The list could be updated to 2026, but I have drawn from a set of division-causing practices that—over the past fifty years or so—have divided believers somewhere, to some degree.

In Romans 14 and 15, there are three guiding principles set forth that should govern what we do when faced with matters that are “doubtful” and potentially divisive to believers.

But first, we should remember that a sincere believer is committed to doing right in all matters of faith and practice. God’s Word is very specific on most matters: for instance, drinking alcohol, gluttony, worldly amusements (such as “sports betting”—or any kind of gambling), and more. In I Thess. 5:22 Paul urges the first century church to “abstain from all appearance of evil.” In Romans 13:14, the apostle says that “whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” So, if you eat or drink something that violates your conscience, then you are compromising your convictions—and that cannot be of faith.

Here, then, are the three overriding principles that the Bible binds believers to in all matters of our relationships to other believers with whom we may differ on certain beliefs:

  1. Every believer has liberty in Christ Jesus, and every believer must “be persuaded” in his/her own mind (Rom. 14:15). We will answer individually for ourselves and not for others; and if we do something that we cannot do “in faith” with a clear conscience before the Lord, then we are sinning (Rom. 14:12,23). A word of caution is in order here: “Liberty” is not “license.” “What then, shall we sin,  because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid! Being made free from sin, we ought to be servants of righteousness.” (Rom. 6:15,18)
  1. We must not knowingly offend a brother who is “weaker” but, rather, walk charitably. (Rom. 15:13-15)
    • The law of love transcends the law of liberty. (I Cor. 8:9-13) We are forbidden to sin against a brother, and we are warned against wounding the conscience of a weaker brother.
    • All things are lawful, but all things are not necessarily expedient. (I Cor. 10:23)
    • We have a responsibility not to violate the conscience of another brother. (I Cor. 10:23) I have been guilty of this in years past (unintentionally), eating in restaurants that sold alcohol with a dear saint whose conscience was offended by my “liberty.”
  1.  All that we do should be done to promote unity amongst the brethren (Rom. 15:1 ff.)
    • We ought to bear the infirmity of the weak rather than pleasing ourselves. (Rom. 15:1).
    • We ought always seek ways to build up one another in the faith (Rom. 15:2).
    • We ought to glorify God in all that we do (Rom. 15:6).

The above outline is from a message I prepared and preached 46 ago. Things that were “doubtful” then are generally not doubtful today in most Christian fellowships. When Ellen and I moved to Indianapolis in 1979, there were virtually no stores open for business on Sunday because of the “blue laws” that would soon be abolished. Restaurants that had liquor on the menu were the exception; of late, even restaurants that were until recently “family friendly” and alcohol-free are serving alcoholic beverages. Old mores have been discarded by those who were once considered “legalistic.”

So, the 21st-century Bible-believer is navigating a different world at the beginning of this third millennium A.D. But, what has not changed are the Biblical principles listed in the above texts. The application may change but not the essence. It is still wrong to offend a brother over such non-essentials as meat. Charity (love) still trumps everything; and doing anything that will wound our conscience—even while proving that we have “liberty” to do it—is sin.

I hope this review of timeless biblical guidelines will cause all of us to be more sensitive and sensible in “walking the walk” of faith in a world full of hidden “mines” that, if ignored, might destroy our work and witness for His kingdom’s sake.

“Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend. All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.” (I Cor. 8:13; 10:23)

Indifference—then and now

Led of the Holy Spirt of God, four Gospel writers give us the soul-shaking account of history’s darkest deed—the murder of the Holy Son of God—in fewer total words than you might find in the preface of the average book published today.

Those who know and love the Lord Jesus come often to these accounts to read and reread about that infamous day, when the Creator was crucified by the creature; when the only sinless man ever to inhabit human flesh was put to death by sinful men; when He who had healed and helped so many as He walked and talked upon this earth was tortured, mocked, and crucified, refusing any help even from legions of angels who stood by watching and waiting for the command to come to His rescue.

What an awful deed and day it was! All of nature went into a convulsive shock. The sun and moon and stars hid their faces while the earth shook in disbelief and disapproval as God the Son allowed Himself to bear the sin of the whole human race—the penalty and payment so that any who would receive His amazing grace, through His everlasting love, could and would be saved.

In Luke’s account, an intriguing statement is tucked into the middle of Chapter 23: “And there followed Him a great company of people.” Jesus was on His way to the cross, the place of death by crucifixion. And, a great company of people followed Him! Who would have followed Jesus to Calvary on that crucifixion day?

I think we might be able to pick out several kinds of people in that great company, and the likes of those people are still in some respect with us yet today:

  1. The casual (or curious): They had heard of Him and had hoped to see one of the miracles for which He was famous. Luke says Herod was happy when Jesus was brought before Him that day, “because he had heard many things of him; and he had hoped to have seen some miracle done by Him.” (Luke 23:8) People who wanted to be where the action was, did not want to miss out on anything, and had nothing better to do that were no doubt in that crowd.
  1. The concerned—maybe personified in Pilate, who said, “I find no fault in Him,” and “What evil hath He done?” and “I have found no cause of death in Him.” Pilate, Roman puppet governor, who was willing to release to the rabble the righteous One, no doubt thinking that Christ was a “good man” who had done nothing deserving of death.
  1. The calloused: who beat Him, mocked Him, cast lots for His parted garments, and in the end nailed Him to the cross.
  1. The compassionate, represented by one Joseph of Arimathea, who “begged the body of Jesus…took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulcher that was hewn out of stone, wherein never a man before was laid.” (Luke 23:50,51)
  1. The committed: those who, like the women who had followed every moment of that dreaded day with sorrow, suffering, and separation from their Lord, and who would return with prepared spices and ointments with which to anoint His body for a proper burial the day following the sabbath. (Luke 23:55,56)

Luke records: “The people stood beholding.” No doubt you and I were in that crowd with all the rest, “beholding.” In what group do you find yourself today? Remember those prophetically spoken words by the prophet, “Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?” (Lamentations 1:12)
Were you there? Is it nothing to you?

“Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree? Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble: were you there when they crucified my Lord?” (Traditional Spiritual; Music, Adapt. John W. Work and Frederick Work)

I ask you again, just now, “Were you there?”

“When Jesus came to Golgotha, they hanged Him on a tree; They drove great nails through hands and feet, and made a Calvary.

They crowned Him with a crown of thorns, red were His wounds and deep; for those where crude and cruel days, and human flesh was cheap.

When Jesus came to Birmingham, they simply passed Him by; they never hurt a hair of Him, they only let Him die.

For men had grown more tender, and they would not give Him pain; they only just passed down the street, and left Him in the rain.

Still Jesus cried, ‘Forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ And still it rained the wintry rain that drenched Him through and through;

The crowds went home and left the streets without a soul to see,

And Jesus crouched against a wall and cried for Calvary.”

(“Indifference,” by G.A. Studdert Kennedy, 1883-1929)

“And sitting down they watched Him there.” (Matt. 27:36)

Last Testimony

Over the course of a half-century of pastoring, I have had the privilege of officiating several hundred memorial services. Just this past Saturday, I had the awesome responsibility of conducting a memorial service for a family that I have known and ministered to since the late 1990s. I did the service for the family’s “matriarch” in 1999 and for her husband three years later. Since then, I have been called upon to do the services for two of their sons and a daughter-in-law. So, that is five precious lives, with their loved ones and friends, to whom I have been able to minister the Word of God over several decades. That is one of the blessings of having pastored in one place for half a lifetime.

When I was seeking God’s mind about the message He wanted me to deliver at this most recent memorial service, I came across a message written and handed to me early on in my ministry here in Indianapolis by a man who said, “I want this read at my funeral.” I did not know the gentleman personally but knew that he had been very active in Thompson Road Baptist Church in its earlier years, when he was healthier. I thanked the man and filed the paper in my file marked “In Memoriam,” thinking nothing more of it until, less than a year later, I received a call that this gentleman had passed into glory. The family requested that I conduct his service. I retrieved the printed statement that he had put into my hands a few months prior to his passing, with the request that it be read at his funeral. I did just that, and I will share it with you today—more than 45 years later. It bore the title “Last Testimony,” and he had dated it 1958, some 22 years before his funeral. Here is what he wrote:

“By the time a person reaches the age of 51 he has attended very many funerals, and almost every one that I have attended, you usually hear folks after the service making remarks about the preacher in charge of the service, that he pronounced some bad remarks and some good. So this is the reason for me to take time now to write this article. In the first place, I know where I am going when I die because I have accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior; furthermore, I have certainly tried to tell people about my Savior, and it seems most of the time to be of no avail, and perhaps a lot could be my own fault for not saying the right words at the right time.

All this that I am writing I would like to be read at my funeral service, and definitely it should be preached by a good, born-again minister. Furthermore, I sure would appreciate for the minister that conducts my funeral service to give an invitation to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Even though this may seem to be unorthodox, there may be people attending this funeral service that have never been inside a church where true salvation was really explained or an invitation given.

Remember this when I depart from this world: I have gone to be with my Lord—so don’t feel sorry for me—if you are a born-again Christian ask the one next to you if they have ever accepted Christ as their personal Savior (right now), for God says in the Bible, “Now is the accepted time.”

This I say to you that are lost without Christ, please accept Jesus Christ NOW—it is all free—have you any reason why you should not accept such a Savior as Christ—who showed the world that He has victory even over death—when He hung on the cross and died for you and me that our sins could all be forgiven—then approximately three days later arose from the grave and even tarried on this earth for several days—and even said then that as many as would receive Him, to them He would give the power to become the Sons of God. And it was up to those that saw Him and heard Him, as God says in the Bible, to go into all the world and preach the Word; and so it is today for every Christian to tell people about this wonderful Savior. Won’t you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior? NOW I hope you will. This will be of course my last testimony on this earth. For those that are saved, I will see you in Heaven—and I will certainly hope that will be everyone at least that hears this message. At this moment, if you are not saved, please ask God to forgive you of your sins and REPENT, and from this day on you will see that you are a new person and wonder how you ever got along without God. For without God we are nothing, and, like the Bible says, when God is on our side, who can be against us?” (Clifford Ravencamp, August 4, 1980)

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

Ministering to our friends with special needs in and through our local churches

Roughly 14 percent of the U.S. population suffers with one or more disabilities. That’s 44 million people. Local churches are privileged to minister the Word of God weekly to those amongst us who have “special needs” related to their particular disability or handicap. Most churches have at least one or two people in any given service who may require special attention. Some special needs are manifest in physical limitations; some are because of personality disorders. The question is whether our local bodies of believers are equipped to minister effectively to them.

Our church has been blessed through many decades by the ministry of Mrs. Shelli Grossman, who headed up the Special Needs Education Department of the Indianapolis Public Schools. A graduate of Tennessee Temple University with postgraduate degrees from Indiana University, Shelli is a dedicated teacher of children in our church-time ministry. Her expertise in meeting the needs of those who are physically or mentally challenged has been a blessing to scores of worshippers—who require individual help—over the past several decades.

I have tapped into the wealth of insights that Mrs. Grossman can offer. Here are her answers to a few basic questions that all of us who communicate God’s Word in a teaching forum might have as we attempt to reach every student in our classes:

1. What are some things that we should remember to do when reaching and teaching those who have special needs?

“Treat everybody the same. If we have someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia in our church, we probably knew them before they acquired their condition, so we should keep our relationship as it was prior to the disability affecting them. Now, can they hold up their end of our relationship? Not at all. But we can.

Also, if a child has a cognitive disability, they need to go with their age-appropriate peers. ‘They have the mind of a 4-year-old’ is such an offensive statement to make. They may have delays, but their bodies grow at the normal rate.”

2. How about some things not to do?

“I think the worst thing we can do is avoid the person with a disability, or the parents who have a child or family member with a special need. Many people are not comfortable interacting with someone with a disability, so we avoid making eye contact, introducing ourselves, or including them in conversations. If you can’t do it, then you can’t do it; but know that God made each of us with our limitations, disabilities, and giftedness.

Be careful of vocabulary. Think of yourself. Do you want to be known as ‘afflicted,’ or ‘retarded,’ or ‘wheelchair bound?’ Of course not. ‘Retarded’ is a widely abused word. I have heard good Christian people refer to themselves, when they do something silly or clumsy, as ‘Oh, I’m so retarded!’ Teens today quickly say, ‘That’s so retarded!’ What we have to think is, that word refers to a group of precious people God made just the way they are. While people say they are not referring to people who have a cognitive disability, they are still making fun of people.

Then, too, several disabilities leave people without the ability to speak words. Cerebral palsy is the most common condition from birth. As adults, mouth and neck cancers often leave people without a voice, as can Parkinson’s and ALS. If people cannot speak, don’t ask them questions! Statements are much more respectful. Even ‘Hi, how are you today?’ cannot be answered. Better is: ‘It’s a great day in the Lord,’ or ‘The Lord has given us another beautiful Sunday.’”

3. Some further basic considerations:

“Many children are born with special needs, and they have professionals all over them. They come home from the hospital, sometimes after weeks or even months. Families must address their every need all day and throughout the night. The child is conditioned to think, ‘the world revolves around me.’ Children get used to constant care and attention and sometimes show loud or aggressive behaviors if they don’t get attention. This child may be headed for behavioral battles with siblings, extended family members, and social personnel. Churches may need to have a designated person be with that child to keep them content, safe, and included. This may be the only way the family is able to worship in peace.”

4. The most important factors:

1. “If they are adults, treat them as you would any adult. Talk to them just like you want to be treated—make normal conversation with them.

2. If a child has a disability, and they are one or two years old, you can talk ‘baby talk’ to them. But if they are 4 and beyond, talk to them as you would any other child that same age. Baby talk is for babies.

3. If we see the disability instead of the child, we tend to keep them in classrooms too long. If the child is 3 or 4, they should not be in a classroom for 2- and 3 year-old children. They will model the behaviors they see. Most churches have classrooms for a variety of age children. Keep the children with disabilities in age-appropriate classrooms. We may think the child will not understand what is being taught, but we don’t have the right to make such assumptions.

4. ‘People First Language’ exists to help us be respectful and think about what we are about to say. A person is not ‘wheelchair bound;’ in fact, no one is bound to a wheelchair. Refer to the person first, not their disability: ‘a man who uses a wheelchair’ is far more respectful and caring. A blind boy should be a boy with visual impairment. An autistic girl is really a girl with autism. God made the people first; they just may also have a disability.

“For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” (Ps. 139:13,14)

Some Good Medicine

Many of us are taking medicine for what ails us, but how about ingesting something into your spirit occasionally that does “good like a medicine?” That is, something that makes your heart merry? Well, I offer such today. You may have seen these “bulletin bloopers” before, but they are funny no matter how many times you run across them. Here is something that hopefully will minister to your broken spirit:

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*Bertha Belch, a missionary from Africa, will be speaking tonight at Calvary Memorial Church. Come and hear Bertha Belch all the way from Africa.

*Our youth basketball team is back into action Wednesday in the recreation hall. Come and watch us kill Christ the King.

*Miss Charlene Mason sang “I Will Not Pass This Way Again,” giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.

*Ladies, don’t forget the rummage sale. It’s a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Don’t forget your husbands.

*The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been cancelled due to a conflict.

*The sermon this morning, “Jesus Walks on Water.”  The sermon tonight, “Searching for Jesus.”

*Barbara remains in the hospital and needs blood donors for more transfusions. She is also having trouble sleeping and requests tapes of Pastor Jack’s sermons.

*Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community.

*Don’t let worry kill you off. Let the Church help.

*Smile at someone who is hard to love; say “hell” to someone who doesn’t seem to like you.

*Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.

*At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be “What is Hell?” Come early and listen to the choir practice.

*For those of you who have children and don’t know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

*Attend and you will hear an excellent speaker and heave a healthy lunch.

*Potluck supper Sunday at 5 p.m. Prayer and medication to follow.

*The ladies of the church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.

*Low Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 p.m. Please use the back door.

*The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare’s Hamlet in the church basement Friday at 7 p.m. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.

*This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs. White to come forward to lay an egg on the altar.

*On Sunday a collection will be taken to defray the expense of the new carpet. All wishing to do something on the carpet please come forward and get a piece of paper.

*Next Sunday is the family hayride and bonfire. Please bring your own hotdogs and guns.

*Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and the deterioration of some older ones.

*The church will host an evening of fine dining, superb entertainment, and gracious hostility.

*This afternoon there will be a meeting in the south and north ends of the church. Children will be baptized at both ends.

*Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the BS is done.

*Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person(s) you want remembered.

*The Lutheran men’s group will meet at 6 p.m.—steak, mashed potatoes, beans, bread, and a dessert will be served for a nominal feel.

*Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles, and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.

*During the absence of our pastor, we enjoyed the rare privilege of hearing a good sermon when J.F. Stubbs supplied our pulpit.

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“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” (Provs. 27:22)

Resources for Preaching

Recently I read an article by the late Dr. Robert Delnay that first appeared in Faith Baptist Theological Seminary’s July/August 1999 issue. Dr DeInay became the founding dean of Faith Baptist Seminary, in Iowa, in 1986, and he was an eminent professor of history and homiletics at Faith and other institutions for decades. I was privileged to take some of his courses at Central Baptist Seminary in Minneapolis in the 1960s.

In the article, he described what preaching at the turn of the then-new millennium had become. Here are some of his observations, which are even more relevant today:

“Those who have listened to preaching for a least a generation are likely to observe that it is not what it once was. On the basis of both anecdote and memory, it is on balance neither as interesting nor as compelling as it was within living memory. Furthermore, the results are not the same. First-time adult decisions for salvation used to be relatively common in many churches every Sunday. Now (1999) such decisions have to be programmed, usually after inducing people to make decisions in their own homes, and then persuading them to come to church to go forward.

There are several ways to account for the difference. First, it may be the faulty memory of the middle-aged, as they think of the good old days. Or it may be that homiletics courses are not as helpful as they used to be. Or that young preachers do not hear the able and earnest models that once were common.

While any of these may have some validity, I suspect that a major reason for the change lies somewhere else. It is that in the First Baptist Church of Laodicea the pastor has different intellectual resources that he draws on, and some of these resources are less than helpful.”

Dr. Delnay continued by suggesting some factors that have contributed to the differences in contemporary preaching versus what he remembered from the “good old days.”

“The Decline of Reading. The chain of bookstores offer quiet and coffee to their customers. The publishers are pouring out such a torrent of books that most go out of print in six months…But those matters do not assure that many preachers are reading books. Spurgeon was reputed to read three or four heavy books a week. By 1950, Howard Sugden owned a library of about 5,000 volumes, and he estimated that he had read about half of it, including the commentaries. His conference ministry is still legendary today.

However, when it comes to the use of books and study tools, my impression is that they are being used less and less. A pastor told me that he did not have time to read books, probably not one a year, and others give evidence of the same pattern.

Some pastors may object that they have the marvelous resources of their computer program, with five translations of the Bible, complete commentaries, and perhaps even the texts in their original languages. Their objection sounds pretty impressive, but I believe it could be shown that few of those programs produce Bible expositors, and few expositors make much use of those fabulous tools. I feel that the screen has proven to be a poor substitute for the printed page. It is a good medium for conveying information and data, but not for generating wisdom. It seems more than coincidence that the screen has become more common just at the time when earnest exposition has become scarce.

The Orientation Toward Entertainment. We now have a whole culture geared toward near-constant entertainment. To about World War I, about the only common diversions were vaudeville and the preacher, with maybe summer concerts by the town band. During the second quarter of this century the movies became available, but hardly for the saints. At mid-century the tube invaded the living room, attracting a viewing audience for about thirty to thirty-five hours a week. A broken TV set caused a near-panic in the family, because the medium became highly addictive. As the video reached the total population (practically nobody had it in 1947; almost everybody had it by 1952) it made its impact on preaching. More and more the TV seemed to provide the major intellectual resource that preachers drew on. Sports and the news took up the time that otherwise would have gone into books and periodicals. A notable preacher told me that he liked to go home after church and watch a movie, it helped him to relax. Twenty years before that he would not go near a movie theater; now his private life was nobody’s business. Meanwhile, his mental resources were withering, and the number of preachers going through the same change was legion.

The move to near-constant entertainment coincided with other trends. Preaching dealt less with the message of the cross and more with the concern for good self-image. The programs, games and adds provided few spiritual and sermonic insights. As the well dried up, I was astonished to hear my former students preaching as sermon illustrations the scenes they had seen in movies. Those trends coincided with the decline in pulpit evangelism, and little wonder. Those trends also coincided with a love for the world that would have driven other generations to their knees. Can anyone affirm that the saints are less materialistic than they were a generation ago? Can anyone deny a cause and effect pattern here?

So now the wave of the future is to gear the whole program of the church to entertainment. The world provided the means to draw people to Christ, and the big churches got bigger by offering experience and amusement. Worship leaders have replaced worship.”

Well, these warnings by Dr. Delnay—issued more than a quarter of a century ago—now seem prophetic. We have seen his concerns come to full bloom, even in what are known as “fundamental, Bible-preaching churches.” For sure, technology and “the screen” have immense potential for good; but for today’s preachers—and for all believers, really—they might well come with the warning: “These tools should never be considered a replacement for the Book, God’s Word.” Selah.

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” (Joshua 1:8) 

Pastor John Aker’s Thought for the Week

With permission, I want to share with you today a post which my friend, John Aker, recently sent to his friends in his post “Thoughts for the Week.” John has served as a chaplain in the United States Army, and has pastored churches in New England and Arizona, and currently is pastoring in Florida.

At times the weight of the pastoral role and responsibilities can be overwhelming, seemingly crushing.  And yet, as one so called and privileged to proclaim the glorious gospel of our Lord, I do not want to be numbered with those who may whimper and whine about the heaviness of this mantle…

But I would want you, dear reader, to know that these are trying times for those who lead and shepherd His flock.  We are often regarded as one who has the answers for a troubled marriage that has not followed His guidelines from the beginning…as one who can win back that youth now far from family and fold because Mom and Dad were busy with other, but lesser, priorities and were far from him…as one who has the resources to settle and stabilize poorly managed family finances…as one who can address societal ills without offending congregants whose views are more personal/subjective/emotional than biblical…and as one who can confront the unending controversies emanating from the hallowed halls of government without crossing the line between the prophetic and political.  That is just a small look at what your pastor/any pastor might face at the beginning of his day.  His challenges are polka-dotted–all varying in size, shape, and complexity. How often the pastor’s plea echoes that of King David:

O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty;
Nor do I involve myself in great matters,
Or in things too difficult for me…
Psalm 131:1

Pastors are mere men.  Sometimes people forget that as they often look to us as though we possessed the wisdom of Solomon.  The truth is, and we sometime forget it ourselves, we need prayer–prayer within, disciplined, daily, and directed to our tasks…and prayer from those we lead, fervent on our behalf–for purity, integrity, guidance, and courage.

Spurgeon, commenting on Paul’s plea to The Church at Thessalonica: Brethren, pray for us… (I Thessalonians 5:25), wrote:

This one morning in the year we reserved to refresh the reader’s memory upon the subject of prayer for ministers, and we do most earnestly implore every Christian household to grant the fervent request of the text first uttered by an apostle and now repeated by us.

Brethren, our work is solemnly momentous, involving weal or woe to thousands; we treat with souls for God on eternal business, and our word is either a savor of life unto life, or of death unto death. A very heavy responsibility rests upon us, and it will be no small mercy if at the last we be found clear of the blood of all men.

As officers in Christ’s army, we are the especial mark of the enmity of men and devils; they watch for our halting, and labor to take us by the heels.

Our sacred calling involves us in temptations from which you are exempt, above all it too often draws us away from our personal enjoyment of truth into a ministerial and official consideration of it. We meet with many knotty cases, and our wits are at a non plus; we observe very sad backslidings, and our hearts are wounded; we see millions perishing, and our spirits sink.

We wish to profit you by our preaching; we desire to be blest to your children; we long to be useful both to saints and sinners; therefore, dear friends, intercede for us with our God. Miserable men are we if we miss the aid of your prayers, but happy are we if we live in your supplications.

You do not look to us but to our Master for spiritual blessings, and yet how many times has He given those blessings through His ministers; ask then, again and again, that we may be the earthen vessels into which the Lord may put the treasure of the gospel. We, the whole company of missionaries, ministers, city missionaries, and students, do in the name of Jesus beseech you, Brethren, pray for us… 

As His undershepherds,  we often cry out to The Lord that we are apprehensive of this task He has given us…that we are not able in our own strength and wisdom…that there are times we would flee to the solitude and safety of the wilderness.  On behalf of your pastor, and friends you have in ministry, I earnestly and fervently plead with you, my brothers, pray for us…

John