The Main Point by Michael Main

TALKIN' THE TALK

We had a wonderful family conversation around the dinner table last night. I mentioned I had run into some old friends who are now the youth ministers at a nearby church. I happened upon them at WalMart. This couple, whom I care about deeply and don't mean to malign, peppered all of their remarks with caveats of "feeling led" and how God had "laid this on their hearts", etc. The folks standing in line around us might very well have required a translator to understand what we talking about.

We weren't in church...we were at the deli counter each ordering sliced ham.

These friends are full of the spirit, and I adore that about them, but I couldn't help but wonder if they are separating themselves from the very people they're trying to reach by saturating everyday conversation with churchy language.

Last night my stepson, Joey, referred to it as "Christianese".

Can our own words distract us from God's word?

Today I ran across an interesting article on this very subject on the Internet Monk blog site.

It spoke to me.

Does it say anything to you?

UPDATE UPDATE

A moment of silence please. I drove out to get a newspaper this morning and was struck by the disturbing reality that the previously mentioned Santa and Rudolph display didn't make it through the night.

It's now even more pitiful than before...something akin to North Pole road kill.

WHAT'S COOKING

One gift I'm giving Amy this year, with major help from our home warranty service, and some significant Christmas shekels from loving relations, is a new oven to replace the aging stove in our kitchen. We've been pricing various models and she's about to make her decision. She's just informed me that the model she's looking at includes what's called "Sabbath Mode."

What a wonderful feature!

Our new oven is going to be able to respect the Sabbath.

I hope it keeps that idea warm within me more too.

OUCH!

Many are cold, but few are frozen.

REGIONAL CHRISTIANITY

Interesting article in the Boston Globe about Howard Dean planning to take the wraps off his faith when he campaigns in the South.

Apparently in Vermont he's fared better hiding his Christianity.

I don't find his position all that surprising, I'm somewhat amazed he admits to it though.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

We are about to leave for church. Amy swears she is feeling well enough to lead music. The kids are planning on singing "Silent Night". As I write they are practicing downstairs. Their presence and the song fill my heart.

Soon we will light candles and tell the Christmas story.

I am ready.

Come Lord Jesus

Merry Christmas my friends.

WRESTLING RUDOLPH

Like many things, some Christmas decorations seem better in theory than in practice.

This is the spectacle at a home down the street from us.

My imagination has run wild with potential captions.

"I warned you if you flashed that red nose in my eyes one more time...."

The 8 seconds of Christmas-Rudolph Rodeo

Any come to your mind?

HO NO

"Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring...we all were worn out.
The stockings are still somewhere stashed in a box
In a pinch I'll nail up some stretched out sweat socks

The children are grown up and living their lives.
They'll drop by later, and then say their goodbyes.
Mamma is feverish, and battling the flu
I'm bracing myself, fearing I'll get it too.

MORE DANGEROUS THAN WAYNE

Statistically today, December 23rd, is the most dangerous to drive in Texas. The folks who keep tabs on things like this, say on this day there are more car wrecks involving serious injury or death than any other day of the year. The statisticians point to the usual factors, holiday travel, drunk driving, wintertime darkness. They overlook a growing threat however; women in SUV's talking on cellphones.

I swear I've almost been killed a dozen times in the past 2 weeks by these lithe yet lethal creatures. I pointed out a number of such incidents today to Amy...she didn't seem to appreciate my astute observational powers...at least not after the fifth or sixth time I alerted her to another glaring example.

In any case, we survived the day without adding to the statistics. We also completed the Christmas shopping with time to spare.

We beat the odds again.

HEALTH UPDATE

Amy's fever has returned. We may be moving our Christmas plans. As always prayers are appreciated....and very much requested.

LORDIE THAT WAS LONG

Okay, lest I offend avid Lord of The Rings fans, let me say first that I loved The Return of the King. However I could have lived with about 30 minutes less winsome looks from Elijah Wood.

Did anyone else feel at times like they paid 6 bucks to observe a staring contest?

MUSIC TEST

This may or may not work.

A crudely edited compilation of music from our Sunday service.

SHOP AND STARE

We're off to do some fast Christmas shopping. I took today off with the intent of helping Amy get the bulk of the shopping done. So far we've decided to go see the Lord of the Rings movie, so we're off to our usual proscrastinating start.

There's still plenty of time. Christmas is days away :)

WHAT THE HECK

The Dallas Cowboys are in the playoffs.

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