Religion: A Pastor Ponders

Archive: May - July 2006

One-eyed faith

By Pastor William Jenkins

July 13, 2006

“We would like to thank all of our dear friends for all your prayers, cards, and support the last six months. After two operations, ending with the removal of my eye, it’s all behind us now and we have so much to be thankful for. We have surely been blessed.”

Pete and Fernie are ever the optimists, always smiling, never complaining. Theirs is a quiet faith, like still waters running deep. “Six months, two operations, one eye gone, so much to be thankful for, surely blessed.” Words such as these sound foolish to some people but they are right at home in Pete’s heart. They are the wisdom of faith for this creative couple. They have learned over the long road that faith in God does not always shelter us from misfortune, but it does always see us through.

Faith in God must never be a fragile thing, blown back and forth by every wind of misfortune. It must be as inviolable as wedding vows: “For better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, till death shall call us home.” Such an attitude creates a relationship in which it is always possible to be cheerful, thankful, and optimistic regardless of the circumstances. Fanny Crosby was that way with no eyes. Pete is that way with one eye. Surely we can be that way with two eyes. Paul’s words in Philippians 4:10-13 are helpful here.

Religion - One-eyed faith

The builder

By Pastor William Jenkins

July 7, 2006

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer of his plans to retire from the house building business. He would miss the paycheck, but the time was right for him to move on with his life. The employer was sorry to see this good worker go and asked if he would build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said he would, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials.

When the carpenter finished the house and his employer came to inspect it, the employer handed the front door keys to the carpenter. “This is your house”, he said, “my gift to you for all your years of faithful service.” What a shock and what a shame! If the carpenter had known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he would have to live in the house he had built.

So it is with us. We often build our lives the same way, unwilling to put forth our best effort, making shoddy decisions, integrating inferior values. Then at some critical point we look at the situation we have created and realize that we are living in the house we have built and it is about to fall down around us.

Think of yourself as a builder and your life as the house you are building. Every day you pour a section of the foundation, hammer a nail, place a rafter or lay a board. Build wisely. It is the only house you will ever have. Life is a do-it-yourself project. It is the sum of your actions and reactions, decisions and attitudes, hopes and dreams, faith and courage.

Psalm. 127:1 gives us something to ponder: “Unless the Lord build a house, they labor in vain who build it.” I think I’ll get a Subcontractor.

Religion - The builder

Praying on the run

By Pastor William Jenkins

June 29, 2006

Two girls had been taught that they could ask God for anything they needed. One morning while walking leisurely to school, they saw the clock on the Court House tower and realized they were going to be late for classes.

Knowing how angry their teacher became with tardy students, one girl suggested they kneel down and ask God to help them get to school on time. “No,” said the other girl, “let’s run as fast as we can and pray while we run. Praying on the run.

When we do not have time to sort things out in an orderly fashion, we send up a prayer while acting on the issue at hand. That is how Nehemiah prayed when the king of Persia asked him what he wanted. A reply was to be immediate; no time to think about it; get your request right the first time. Nehemiah said, “Then I prayed to the God of heaven and I answered the king…” (2:4) That’s praying on the run.

All of our prayers should not be “on-the-run” prayers. We need times of quiet reflection and solitude where we stop and connect to God in an intimate way.

There are times in every day when a sudden on-the-run prayer is appropriate.
I have learned that “on-the-run” prayers are most effective when preceded by “stop-and–be-still” prayers.

Religion - Praying on the Run

A father’s influence

By Pastor William Jenkins

June 23, 2006

When the girl responded with an ugly word, he said, “And that’s another thing I don’t like about you. You have a dirty mouth.”

She said, “John, don’t you know everybody in our class talks like that but you.”

He said, “That’s all right; my daddy doesn’t talk like that, and until I hear him talk like that, I’m not going to talk like that either.”

Later John told his dad what had transpired between him and the girl. Dr. Hinson reported: “As soon as I had a few moments, I found a private place of prayer and I made a commitment to a son who by now has heard every kind of language there is. I know that, but I made a commitment that morning that even though he’d heard all that, he would never hear it from his daddy.”

Children are waiting for their fathers to set an example in their speech, in their conduct, in their faith, and in their love. Ponder that this Father’s Day.

Religion - A father’s influence

Concerning the truth

By Pastor William Jenkins

June 15, 2006

The key to healing and freedom is for us to be willing to accept truth. Truth is an absolute; and that makes some people nervous. Whenever we do not like the truth as it is, we may behave like an Arab in the desert who woke up in his tent at midnight very hungry. He lit a candle and reached for a bowl of dates. He took one out, held it to the candlelight. He saw that there was a worm in the date. He tossed it out of the tent. He reached for a second date, held it to the light, saw a worm in it as well, and tossed it out of the tent. Then he blew out the candle and proceeded to eat the bowl of dates. Ponder this the next time you are faced with an inconvenient truth.

Religion - Concerning the truth

Being happy

By Pastor William Jenkins

June 10, 2006

Where does one find happiness? Not out there somewhere. Not in places to go or things to do or stuff to swallow or things to buy. Happiness is not something we find, it is something that finds us. It is the by-product of a life well-lived. It is being in right relationship with God and with other people. It is a by-product of usefulness, of commitment to God and his cause. It is a by-product of celebrating every day as a gift from God. A lesson every Grimaldi would do well to learn.

Religion - Being happy

To serve unheralded

By Pastor William Jenkins

May 26, 2006

In an old cemetery overgrown with brush and weeds, there are forgotten graves within an acre of forgotten sacred ground. No one ever visits; only the wild hogs, squirrels, or occasional deer pass through, disinterested in the lives laid to rest below them. I was taken to this forsaken place by an elderly gentleman who stumbled across it while hunting. All of the headstones are fallen over and illegibly save one. It stands straight and proud marking the resting place of an unheralded Methodist circuit rider. This inscription is carved on the stone:

Sacred to the memory of the
Reverend William O’Conner
Itinerate Missionary of
The Methodist Episcopal Church
From Ohio who died
October 10, 1843

I wonder, “Who were you, William O’Conner?” His Creator knows.

Dear Lord, teach my heart to be like that flower and that circuit rider who served well where they were, unnoticed and unknown to all except You.

Religion - To serve unheralded

The hornet’s nest

By Pastor William Jenkins

May 19, 2006

...His captain saw that he was injured and barked out an order: “Gimme your gun, private…and get to the rear!”

The private handed over his rifle and ran back toward the north seeking safety. But after covering two or three hundred yards, he ran into another skirmish. Then he ran to the east and into another part of the battle. Then he ran west and encountered more fighting there. He was caught in that part of the battle known as “the hornet’s nest.” Finally the private ran back to the front lines and shouted: “Gimme back my rifle, Cap’n. There ain’t no rear to this battle!”

Precisely so, when it comes to the troubles of this world, “there ain’t no rear to the battle!” We can’t really run away and hide. The only sensible answer is “to trust God and go forward.”

Religion - Hornet's Nest

Mother’s Day

By Pastor William Jenkins

May 12, 2006

Mother’s Day is a reminder on the calendar for children to remember in a special way that lovely lady who gave them life. As one harried mother explained, “I delivered each child once in birth and I have been delivering them ever since…to school, ballgames, dance lessons, parties and everywhere. I’m just a delivery service.”

One mother was encouraged when her children insisted she not lift a finger all day long on her holiday. They would cook for her. And they did. They used three pots, two frying pans, a double-boiler, three mixing bowls, a chopping board, six measuring spoons, and who knows how many dishes. Mom was delighted. She complimented them that she had never tasted better Jello. That mother is a precious jewel. Her children will always hold her precious because she saw value and worth in them.

Religion - Mother's Day

More than expected

by Pastor William Jenkins

May 5, 2006

For forty years in a barren wilderness, He provided food and water for a nation of people. In II Kings, He increased a widow’s supply of oil beyond every expectation. Jesus fed over 5,000 people with only five loaves of bread and two fish. In the parable of the sheep and goats, the rewards for service were quite out of proportion to the service rendered.

I have noticed in many areas a certain reckless extravagance on God’s part. When by faith we surrender what we have to God’s disposal, we shall receive in return more than we expect for less than we think. It is one of the Laws of Divine Economy.

Religion - More than expected

League City United Methodist Church is located at 1411 Main Street (FM 518), one block east of Interstate 45. For information, call the church offices at 281-332-1557 or visit the website at

HYPERLINK - http://www.lcumc.org