• Fred's Blog

    2 Samuel: Wise Guys

    He who seeks revenge digs two graves — Confucius There are a few figures in Scripture who grow on you with age. Perhaps, as we mature, we come to understand their circumstances more deeply—or maybe we find we have more in common with them. Our own experiences help explain their behavior. That has been the case for me with Ahithophel. When I first encountered his story years ago, my reaction was simple: “Oh, the traitor who committed suicide.” Yes, he did—but he was far more than that, and it’s the “far more” that interests me. When Absalom rebelled, his first call was to Ahithophel—David’s most devout friend and counselor. Surprisingly,…

  • Fred's Blog

    1 Samuel: An Uncertain Trumpet

    For me, the most riveting scene in “Braveheart” is the Battle of Stirling where William Wallace, greatly outnumbered by the English soldiers and cavalry approaching their position, says, “Hold.” Every Scot has their eyes on Wallace alone as he commands them to do nothing. It is difficult to watch as the English forces bear down on the line of defenders. “Wait,” he says time and again until the horses and riders are almost on top of the Scots and then he yells, “Now!” At that moment his men raise their long wooden pikes and impale horses and soldiers alike. The English retreat while the Scots rout and slaughter them. It…

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  • Fred's Blog

    Ruth: The Skeptic and the Saint

    For me, the book is as much about Naomi and Boaz and how they respond to the hands they are dealt. Not a romance but a story of how two people salvage each other. This is an account that could be ours today. We, like Naomi, are sometimes forced into change with new circumstances but, instead of working out the way we hope, our lives may get worse and more complicated.  At some point we learn we are not protected from reality. I have read commentators who see Naomi’s difficulties the same as she does – God’s hand against her for leaving. I don’t take it that way.  When there…

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  • Talks

    Eulogy for Bill Stagg

    Bill Stagg and I started badly. I heard about Bill before I met him – but just seconds before. It was 1978 and I was a 31 year old novice Dean of Students at Charlotte Christian School. I was confident, inexperienced and a danger to myself and others.  But worse than that – far worse than that – I had just busted one of Bill’s beloved and three other boys. For me, it was cut and dried, simple justice and only a matter of notifying the parents with a short and courteous reminder of the rules and a clear explanation of the punishment. One day after the mail arrived at…

  • Talks

    Brook Hill School Dedication: Rules of Thumb

    Brook Hill School Dedication June 4, 1995 I think we are all familiar with the Scriptural practice of dedication. It was a common custom and still is to dedicate children, houses and places of worship to the Lord. We are going to do that this afternoon in a few minutes but I wanted us to look very briefly at three ways of thinking about dedication – and I want to call them three rules of thumb since they are all built around your thumb. The first meaning of the word dedication is derived from the practice of a nurse putting very soft food on her thumb and pressing it on…

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  • Fred's Blog

    Communion of the Saints

    Eugene Peterson and Tim Keller shared two things in common: First, a commitment to a particular place and people.  Second, being rooted in sources they interpreted for people unfamiliar with those texts. For Peterson, it was the Scripture and literature, and for Keller, it was the Reformers like Calvin, Owen, Baxter and Kuyper. Unlike some of their peers, they did not claim originality but drew from the wells of those who came before them. They saw themselves as part of a long tradition and unlike many today who paraphrase others without attribution or look to be original and quotable, neither Eugene or Tim failed to make their preaching and teaching…

  • Fred's Blog

    Bare Ruined Choirs

    In 1990, I participated on a panel hosted by a seminary to discuss potential futures for local congregations. One of the trends we explored was the decline of churches reflecting community and demographic changes. This was before the widespread church closings we’ve witnessed over the past twenty years. During our discussion on closures, a member of the audience—a CEO of a Fortune 100 company and a longtime leader in his denomination—argued there was no justification for closing a church, even if the congregation had dwindled to the point where maintaining the building was hopeless. He agreed it made sense to shutter a non-viable business or even a non-profit, but not…

  • Talks

    Memorial Service for Vicki Morgan

      April 12, 2025 In my last conversation with Vicki, there was a pause — a quiet moment when I could tell she had something important to say. Then she said it, simply and clearly: “All I ever wanted to be was a wife and a Mom.” How many people do we know who can sum up their life’s dream in one sentence? It sounds so simple — but in that moment, she might as well have said, “All I ever wanted to do was climb Mount Everest. All I ever wanted to do was run a three-minute mile. All I ever wanted to do was find a cure for…

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  • Fred's Blog

    Judges: God Only Knows

    And now we see the consequences of a good man and fine leader leaving no successor. Think of it as a Western –  Wagon Train with Eric Fleming and Clint Eastwood – strong leaders like Moses and Joshua. Then comes the transition to A Fistful of Dollars or The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Moses and Joshua are gone, leaving the people to fend for themselves.  They are scattered, vulnerable to attack, living in lawless, dry, windblown, and harsh territory.   These are new arrivals, struggling to survive and subject to oppression by villains, unable to resist. Then, out of nowhere, a deliverer arrives – a flawed hero.  He…

  • Fred's Blog

    Joshua: Unfinished

    Transitions from a founder to their successor are notoriously difficult, often fraught with challenges for everyone involved. Founders are frequently reluctant to leave, as their identity is deeply intertwined with the organization they created. Successors may struggle with self-doubt, and the people within the organization often feel torn between loyalty to the founder and adapting to the new leader. Sometimes they adjust, but other times they do not, resulting in simmering rejection. All of these factors can work against the success of the transition. However, some transitions work better than expected. For example, the transition from Moses to Joshua in the Bible was remarkable. While Joshua had doubts about himself,…