“Unity – No Matter What”

By Jim Faughn     That’s what the message was on a sign at a church building in our community. I’ve been thinking about that message ever since I saw it.      I cannot truly be loyal to Jesus if I’m not concerned about, praying for, and working toward unity. At the same time, I’m thinking that I cannot do all of those things no matter what.     Allow me to try to explain what I mean by that after I share with you a portion of the words that Jesus prayed to His Father very shortly before He went to the cross. As His thoughts transitioned from His apostles to “…them that believe on me through their word…,” He prayed:     that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. (John 17:20-21)     To be sure, unity was on the mind of Jesus as He prayed. It is also clear that He viewed a lack of unity as a hindrance to belief in Him. While those things are true, we don’t need to overlook the connection between unity and the inspired message with which the apostles would be entrusted.     It might be helpful to remember that, not long after Jesus prayed the prayer recorded in John 17, He was on the cross. There was a strange and unusual combination of hatred, division, and unity that played a vital role in putting Him there.      One example of that has to do with two Jewish sects of that day. Pharisees and Saddducees were in opposition on a number of doctrines, but were united in their opposition to – and hatred of –  Jesus. That “unity” was a factor in putting Jesus on the cross. Whatever else that could be said, it should be acknowledged that this arrangement was both temporary and artificial.     Another example can be found with regard to two officials of the government. As we read about the trials which led to the crucifixion of the Savior, we find these interesting and telling words: And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves (Luke 23:12). This is yet another example of a temporary and artificial unity that played a role in the death of the Lord.     We now live in a world in which the most ungodly lifestyles, philosophies, beliefs, religions, practices, etc. are accepted and promoted. Not only are they accepted and promoted, we are now being told that people who do not celebrate what the Bible condemns are unloving and even unChristian.      How did we get here? How did so many who claim to be following the One who prayed for unity become so divided and divisive? Why has it gotten to the point where people who preach and talk about love actually practice hate? What makes people who promote tolerance become so intolerant with those who disagree with them?     For that matter, why would people whose stated intention is to follow Jesus produce creed books, catechisms, manuals, etc. that have the effect of dividing people? Why would any individual allow his or her opinions, preferences, or “comfort zones” to be of equal or greater importance than scripture?     I suppose that multiple volumes could be written to address questions like that, but I will suggest just one thing. It may not be all that profound, but I am hoping that you will give it some consideration.      It seems to me that the closer we get to Jesus and His Word, the closer we get to one another. That seems to me to be the answer to His prayer for true unity. A corollary to that might be that things which He condemns cannot be endorsed or practiced by those who are truly His followers.     Genuine unity includes a genuine connection to God’s Word, submission to the will of Jesus, and true fellowship with His followers. People can form temporary unions, but unity is eternal.     So – count me in for “unity,” but count me out for “no matter what.”

- Jim Faughn serves as and elder for the Central Church of Christ in Paducah KY. Be sure to visit the following for more great articles: Faughn Family blog, A Legacy of Faith

One Man’s Idea about the Message of the Bible

By Jim Faughn     During my lifetime, I have had some conversations which are difficult to forget. There are some which I would like to forget, but have difficulty in accomplishing that. At other times, there are conversations which I hope I never forget.     There are at least a couple of reasons why a conversation can find its way into that second and much more positive category. The reason could be that the person with whom the conversation took place is one of those unforgettable people in my life. At other times, it was just the fact that something was said which made a major impact on me and/or caused me to do some real thinking.      On some occasions, both of those factors play a role in making a conversation very memorable and important to me. Both the person saying something and what was said had an impact on me that lasts long after the conversation is over (and maybe long after the person is no long alive).     I often think of one of those kinds of conversations that took place a few years ago. The man with whom I was having that conversation was one of the most interesting men I have ever met. He was unique in so many ways. Although he is no longer living, one comment he made still lives in my memory. I have every reason to believe that it will continue to do as long as I have a memory.     My friend and I were talking about the Bible and, during that conversation, he made an observation that, in my mind, is one of the (if not the) best succinct statements about God’s Word that I have ever heard. “I’ve read the Bible. Its message is that I need a Savior and I’m not Him.”     I thought about suggesting some ramifications and applications implied in that statement, but I decided against that for a couple of reasons. First, I’m afraid that the number of those ramifications and applications is almost endless. I truly believe that it could take volumes to try to explore each way in which that statement is true.     The second reason that I decided to just let his statement “stand for itself” is that I did not want to influence your thinking. I prefer to let you do what I have done. I would like for you to remember that statement and continue to think about it for years to come.     Maybe, like me, you will have difficulty in getting one short statement out of your mind and, at the same time, trying to think of all of the ways it applies to you. Maybe, like me, you need a regular reminder of the fact that…     I need a Savior and I’m not Him.

- Jim Faughn serves as and elder for the Central Church of Christ in Paducah KY. Be sure to visit the following for more great articles: Faughn Family blog, A Legacy of Faith

A Candidate for the World’s Most Clueless Husband (and a Rebuttal)

By Jim Faughn     As Mothers Day approaches, I am reminded of a conversation I had with a lady during which she mentioned her late father-in-law. Somehow the subject of retirement came up. During that part of the conversation, she related to me something he had told his wife when he retired. The following may not be a word-for-word quote, but it is pretty close: Now, I’ll get to do what you’ve been doing all these years I’ve been working – absolutely nothing.     My first reaction (which I think I might have actually said aloud) was that surely no man could be that clueless. Actually “clueless” might be the polite version of what I said. The actual word could very well have been “stupid.”     Surely there would only be a very, very small minority of husbands who would think so little of their wives that they would belittle them in the way this man did. At least I sincerely hope that would be the case whether the wife has chosen a career outside the home or has chosen to stay at home.     I thought that, since the “stay-at-home wife” was the subject of the discussion I had, I would offer the following as a rebuttal to this man’s thinking.     I found the following on salary.com. They did a study during the early days of the Covid pandemic in 2020, but the figures were not much different from what they had reported prior to the pandemic.      According to that website, they “…surveyed more than 19,000 moms since the start of the pandemic and have estimated the value of a mother’s work by tracking real-time market prices of all the jobs that moms perform.”     What follows is their list of positions/responsibilities that wives/mothers have: Chief Financial Officer Chief Operating Officer Logistics Analyst I Housekeeper Laundry Manager Van Driver Public School Teacher Facilities Manager Meeting/Event Planner I Kitchen Manager Assistant Athletics Director Staff Nurse – RN I Bookkeeper Physical Therapy Supervisor Nutrition Director Consumer Loan Officer I Fast Food Cook Server Conflicts Manager Interior Designer I Fundraising Coordinator The website’s estimate of the grand total of the salary was (without any additional benefits) — $184,820 I’m one of those people who is inclined to think that the truth is often somewhere in the middle of two extremes. I’m aware that this figure could (or could not) be exaggerated somewhat. At the same time, I’m very certain that the value of a wife/mother is nowhere near zero.      You may have read the following about the woman described in Proverbs 31 by terms such as “a virtuous woman/wife,” “a wife of noble character,” “an excellent wife,” and other similar phrases depending on the translation of the Bible you happen to be using. The wise man who was inspired to pen those words “calculated her worth” as being “far above rubies,” “more precious than jewels,” etc.     I think that I will go with that assessment rather than the one of “Mr. Clueless.”

- Jim Faughn serves as and elder for the Central Church of Christ in Paducah KY. Be sure to visit the following for more great articles: Faughn Family blog, A Legacy of Faith

Property Poor Church Members

By Jim Faughn     I recently came across an article in a religious periodical published in 1918. The title of that article was the same as the title for this post.     The article mentions a man who served as an elder in a local congregation who owned a great deal of property. According to a statement he made, the value of his property was $160,000. His weekly contribution to the local congregation of which he was a member was seventy-five cents!      When this man was encouraged to increase his contribution, he said that he could not do that because he was “property poor.” He even claimed that his financial “stress” made it necessary for him to borrow money at times.     With a little research and my elementary skills in mathematics, I discovered that $160,000 in 1918 would be the equivalent of almost $3,400,000 today. That “sacrificial” seventy-five cents would be the equivalent of a little less than $16.00 today. When numbers like this are discussed, it is not unusual to hear or read the term “adjusted for inflation.”      I’m thinking that another adjustment might need to be considered. In both 1918 and 2026, there might need to be an adjustment in the attitudes and priorities of some people.     I’ve never known and have never wanted to know how much monetary support is given to the work of the Lord by people with whom I worship. I’m wondering though if some haven’t gone from being property poor to also being automobile poor, boat poor, hobby poor, entertainment poor, fashion poor, travel poor, etc. In other words, I’m wondering if people have “obligated” themselves to so many other things that there is not much left for the Lord and His work.     Maybe we need to revisit a parable that Jesus taught. He spoke of a man whose mindset was totally on material things. You may remember that he was so prosperous that the only solution he could think of was to build bigger places where he could store his “stuff.” (Have you noticed the proliferation of “storage facilities” in most communities today?)     This man heard these words from God: Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? (Luke 12:20, KJV) You may remember how Jesus ended that parable. It should serve as a reminder and challenge to all of us: So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. (Luke 12:21 KJV)

- Jim Faughn serves as and elder for the Central Church of Christ in Paducah KY. Be sure to visit the following for more great articles: Faughn Family blog, A Legacy of Faith

A Tradition Unlike Any Other

By Jim Faughn     I have a lot of friends who enjoy the game of golf. I am happy for them, but I am not a big fan. I discovered a long time ago that I could get frustrated without spending time and money trying to do something that could not even remotely be described as playing golf.      I do know enough about the sport, though, to recognize that there is a tournament that takes place at the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia each spring during the first full week of April. The Masters Tournament has a long history and is considered to be one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world. As you may know, those who promote The Masters use the following slogan: “A Tradition Unlike Any Other.”     As I understand it, there are even what could be called traditions within the tradition. Even a person like me who knows very little about golf knows that the winner of that tournament receives a green jacket. I also know that the course is known for its beauty and that a certain part of the course is known as “Amen Corner.” (I’m not sure what that means, but I’ve heard the phrase.)      Shortly after this year’s tournament was completed and Rory Mcllroy was awarded the green jacket, I was reading about a unique (and apparently fairly recent) tradition. There are no cell phones allowed on the course.     After I learned about that policy, I started reading some reports about it and even watched a television news report online about it. According to what I read and watched, there are “phone banks” available for people who feel that they really need to make a call, but the phones in these “banks” are what some refer to now as “landlines.”      I thought that the television report about these phone banks was particularly interesting because one seven-year-old boy described the experience of using one of the phones. It almost seemed as though he was describing something from ancient history when he said that the phone had a long cord and that you couldn’t see the person with whom you were talking. He said that what he was using was “not at all like a normal phone.” (just one of many reminders I keep getting about how old I am)     What I found most interesting was a common thread that ran through the reports I read or saw. Various sources reported that there was a real similarity between both the purpose of the prohibition of cell phones and the result of that prohibition. That similarity was that the entire experience of this prestigious tournament was enhanced. The positive results which were reported included things like more personal interaction, a greater appreciation of the natural surroundings, and a general sense of making the entire experience more meaningful.     The barber who cuts my hair is, unlike me, a huge fan of golf and loves to play the game himself. When I mentioned what I had learned about the “no cell phone policy” to him, he told me that the officials are very serious about its enforcement. According to him, if a cell phone “goes off’ or is found on an individual, that person is immediately escorted to the gate.      Have you figured out yet where I am going with this? If not, let me help you out a little.     Golf courses are not the only places where people assemble who at least claim to share a common interest. On a regular basis, assemblies take place in facilities which are designed to assist people in their worship of God.      Sadly, in some of those assemblies, there will be those who will be checking their emails, texts, the latest posts on social media, and/or just playing some sort of mindless game on a cell phone or tablet. All of this (and more) could and does happen when people are doing what these people must consider to be such “trivial things” as addressing God in prayer, hearing His word proclaimed, and singing songs like “Jesus is All the World to Me.”     Is it just me, or is there something wrong here? Why would people willingly give up their cell phones to watch a golf tournament, but balk at any suggestion about not having them “in hand” and using them during a worship assembly?     Before somebody “goes there,” I understand that some people use their phones as their Bibles. At the same time, I am not so naive as to believe that everybody who has a cell phone out during a worship service is using it for that purpose. If you think that is the case, I would invite you to talk to the guys in “the crow’s nest” where I worship and let them tell you about some of the things they have told me that they see from their vantage point or you could just ask me what I’ve seen from the pulpit while I was trying to preach.     Some traditions may have a very small beginning. The “seventh inning stretch” in baseball, for example, began when one person was tired of sitting and decided to stand and stretch between the top half and bottom half of the seventh inning at one baseball game. Admittedly, that one person happened to be the president of our nation at the time, but he was still only one person. His action influenced others to also stand as a demonstration of respect. As the saying goes, the rest is history. The “seventh inning stretch” is now almost as much a part of the game as the game itself.     Let me suggest something that you might be able to start all by yourself or join with others in implementing where you worship. Maybe you and some others could set the example of separating yourselves from your phones long enough to truly worship.        Maybe your congregation would be known as a people with… A TRADITION UNLIKE ANY OTHER.

- Jim Faughn serves as and elder for the Central Church of Christ in Paducah KY. Be sure to visit the following for more great articles: Faughn Family blog, A Legacy of Faith