• Fred's Blog

    Losing Our Powers

    Listen to “Losing Our Powers” by Fred Smith   In a recent New York Times article, “When a $1,000 Gift is Better Than $1 Million” Paul Sullivan writes about Donna and Benjamin Rosen who were once in the “big leagues” of philanthropy giving away tens of millions of dollars. But, as Ben Rosen puts it, “I gave away too much, too soon, and lived too long. Our days of philanthropy are gone. We’re not making multimillion-dollar donations anymore. But there’s still a lot of room for philanthropy.” We read about foundations deciding to voluntarily “sunset” after a defined number of years but what about those who give away too much too soon and outlive their…

  • Fred's Blog

    Not Fade Away

    Listen to “Not Fade Away” By Fred Smith   I was 38 when I realized I was a misfit in my work. Teaching in a traditional boarding school on the East Coast, I was working overtime to adapt – but unsuccessfully. It was no one’s fault. It was simply not the right place for me. During that time I discovered a book by Ralph Mattson and Art Miller, Finding a Job You Can Love. Their book changed my life because the authors (who then became friends) showed me how God had designed me in a particular way to accomplish a particular kind of work. I could try to shoehorn myself…

  • Bible Studies

    David’s Counting the Fighting Men

    It was not uncommon for pagan kings to count their people to determine how large their armies could be if needed and also to display their military might to themselves, their allies, and their enemies.  They would host great parades through the capital to show off their capabilities and bolster the confidence of the people. To that point David had not.  He had depended on the allegiance of his followers and the Lord to fight for him – even when outnumbered.  David did not depend on numbers but on individual courage and the support of God.  This then is new. This is a surprise and a disappointment to many –…

  • Fred's Blog

    Is All Truth God’s Truth?

    Listen to “Is All Truth God’s Truth” by Fred Smith   I still remember my response in 1985 when our local Christian radio station turned down my request to play the Judy Collins version of “Amazing Grace” because, while it was clearly a Christian song, they had qualms about their listeners hearing it from Judy Collins. “What narrow minds! What does it matter who sings it as long as the message is Christian or not inconsistent with Christian values? Why should we be so legalistic about the packaging if the content is the same? After all, it was our own St. Augustine who said, ‘All Truth is God’s Truth’” Now, many years later,…

    Comments Off on Is All Truth God’s Truth?
  • Bible Studies

    Athithophel and Absalom

    There are a few figures in Scripture who grow on you with age. Perhaps we understand them or their circumstances more or we have more in common as we grow older or we have experiences that explain their behavior.  That is the case for me with Ahithophel. I had one response to his story when I first read it and that was, “Oh, the bad man who committed suicide.” Yes, he did but he was far more than that and it’s the “far more” that I want us to look at this morning. We first meet him toward the end of Absalom’s four-year plan to overthrow David.  Absalom goes to…

  • Fred's Blog

    Rules For Radicals

    Listen to “Rules for Radicals” by Fred Smith   As Sun Tzu’s “Art of War” and Machiavelli’s “The Prince” have been sources for practical action by politicians, soldiers, and corporate leaders, Saul Alinsky’s “Rules for Radicals” has been the blueprint for disruptive social action. It is famous for what today we would call memes – memorable quotes and images: “In the beginning, the organizer’s first job is to create the issues or problems.” But, an even earlier blueprint for revolt is in the Old Testament conspiracy of Absalom to subvert his father, David. Revolutions take time to brew and the conditions must be right. But, his strategy to steal the…

  • Bible Studies

    Absalom Steals The Hearts of Israel

    Rebellions do not happen overnight.  After years, there is always a tipping point in either an event or a moment that precipitates them.  We talk about the beginnings of the American Revolution and we know it was not simply the Boston Tea Party or the Boston Massacre, but the years of resentment over the taxes Britain imposed to maintain their troops after the French-Indian War and to increase revenue for a Parliament strapped for cash by an exploding national debt. When the British imposed new laws and a tax on tea several patriots boarded ships and dumped the tea. They were incensed by taxation without representation. Only two years later…

  • Fred's Blog

    The Wheel of Justice

    Listen to “The Wheel of Justice” by Fred Smith   I’ve hummed along with Billy Joel’s song “Only The Good Die Young” for years. It’s an infectious tune and the lyrics soon fade into the background – unless you have girls and then every “Billy” you see becomes a threat! “They say there’s a heaven for those who will wait. Some say it’s better but I say it ain’t. I’d rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints. The sinners are much more fun.” Another reason to look at the lyrics is teaching from stories in the Old Testament about men in power who would not wait. We…