Revitalize Your Church

I appreciated Robert's comment today (below) on this post from a couple of years ago. I am re-posting it in honor of the 167th anniversary of Rev. Maxwell Cornelius' birth: My friend, Mike, bought an old hymnal on e-bay. He carried it up proudly between services a week ago, and said, "Look what I got for 95 cents!" I leafed through the brittle pages, and landed upon these beautiful words. In light of the sufferings and losses I've witnessed in recent months and weeks, it was a blessing to me. Upon researching, I found that the author, Rev. Maxwell Cornelius , had suffered deeply in his life. He penned this poem shortly after the death of his wife, and shared them at her funeral service. Not now, but in the coming years, It may be in the better land, We'll read the meaning of our tears, And there, sometime, we'll understand. -- Maxwell N. Cornelius (Hymn 82 in Tabernacle Hymnal) Some day, we will read the meaning of our tears. There is meaning in every d...

Yesterday I preached a sermon about Tears. It was sparked a couple of months ago, when I was visiting my mother in Ohio, and discovered an old Bible (from the 1800's) that belonged to my great grandfather, John Wilson and his wife Juda. In this photo, John's the guy in the front on the left. Juda is in the middle. I was surprised to find an old handkerchief in the Bible, which I surmise, belonged to Juda. . . It was quite a treasure to discover and set me to pondering . . . what made Juda cry? What life experiences brought tears to her eyes? That led me to wonder what the Bible says about tears. So, I launched into a deep Scripture study -- which really blessed my heart. On Sunday morning, I shared my findings with the congregation. Here are my notes for you to decipher: What does Bible Say About Tears? 1, Tears of Grief and Sorrow: (John 11:35 “Jesus Wept”) St. Mary’s chaplain called our tears "holy water" American novelist Washington Irving wrote, " There is a...

Through our tears we express our hopes, fears, and passions. They are like a bridge that unites our inner and outer selves. Our tears are instruments of cleansing and release. They draw toxin and tension from our bodies. They warn us of our needs, alert us to our vulnerability, and heal our emotional wounds. . . Weeping is a powerful language that lends understanding, strength, and color to our passions. Tears are a window through which we share our deepest selves with those we love. -- Dr. Dan Bagby, Baptist Theological Seminary in Seeing Through Our Tears

Chet Davis attends Hayward Wesleyan Church. I had the privilege of baptizing him a year ago. His faith and love for God is an inspiration. Recently, he wrote the following poem: Tears O how many tears must fall before we accept the Savior? Tears of remorse, regreat and sinfulness; Jesus knows them all. Jesus wants to catch them before they fall And wash them away with the blood that he shed on the cross And replace them with tears of forgiveness and joy. O how many tears must fall Before we accept the Savior?