What Happened to Wonder?
Living Stones Series: First Published in All Around Old Bridge Publication – December 2018, Pastor Lloyd Pulley
Every question today seems to invoke the same answer.
"Google it."
We turn to this powerful search engine often because we want to know the answer. With over 5 billion searches made a day, finding information through Google has become a normal routine. In a future article I may unpack the many ways this ubiquitous search engine profiles us, offers biased suggestions, learns what we are susceptible to and as such can sway a generation of people socially, religiously, economically and politically. But for now, what about the questions Google can't answer?
Thanking Whom?
Living Stones Series: First Published in All Around Old Bridge Publication – November 2018, Pastor Lloyd Pulley
It was the best of months; it was the worst of months.
November carries with it the two extremes that make a season truly wonderful and profoundly troubling.
On the one hand, November is one of the most beautiful times of the year in New Jersey. The leaves are changing, the mornings grow crisp, and some of our most beloved fall activities come back into season. Families are seen everywhere making memories pumpkin picking, wandering through corn mazes, or just raking and playing in leaves on their front lawns.
Calling All Men
Living Stones Series: First Published in All Around Old Bridge Publication – October 2018, Pastor Lloyd Pulley
Take a look at this playground from the early 1900s. If you are a mother, a lawyer, or an insurance agent, it may be your worst nightmare. For many men, however, the playground presents a challenge they can’t help but want to conquer.
This picture shocks us because it is so different than the playgrounds of today. Modern playgrounds are focused entirely on safety and are equipped with nets and rubber pelts to break the slightest fall. We work to make sure no danger could befall a child, and yet, the more dangerous playgrounds were used to raise the greatest generation ¬– those who fought in World War II.
No One Checked
Living Stones Series: First Published in All Around Old Bridge Publication – September 2018, Pastor Lloyd Pulley
It was on my bucket list. I had come close twice to doing it when I was hitchhiking cross-country and again when I drove from California to Colorado. Each time, there was no opportunity to stop. And aside from the scorpion near my tent and the six-foot king snake I encountered, it was much more than I could have expected.
I’m speaking of a two-hundred mile river ride down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon which finally happened this summer.
Finding Real Community
Living Stones Series: First Published in All Around Old Bridge Publication – August 2018, Pastor Lloyd Pulley
After an aggressive knock on the door, a man who newly moved into his house was confronted. "You just bought yourself a lawsuit," was his new neighbor’s abrupt introduction. Upon asking, the man found out his neighbor was bothered over a fence the previous occupant built a few feet over his property line.
A New Generation
Living Stones Series: First Published in All Around Old Bridge Publication – July 2018, Pastor Lloyd Pulley
Every day, there is a new tragedy to process. Whether it’s a new mass shooting, a natural disaster devastating a region, or a beloved celebrity taking their own life, one can’t help but ask, "how much of this can we really take?"
I am not trying to make you sad. These issues are worth discussing. When broken things are allowed to go unchecked, they only tend to get worse. When anxiety and depression lead top-flight celebrities like Kate Spade or Anthony Bourdain to feel there is no hope, we intuitively know something is deeply broken.
Our Father
Living Stones Series: First Published in All Around Old Bridge Publication – June 2018, Pastor Lloyd Pulley
A young child battling cancer.
A single mother struggling to make ends meet.
A good kid, facing the torment of cyberbullying.
All around we see evidence of evil in the world. Not to be too much of a downer, but facts are facts - the human condition is wrought with all forms of suffering. We experience inexplicable pain and we long for answers. We may even ask God, "Why?"
Standing Tall on Our Knees
Living Stones Series: First Published in All Around Old Bridge Publication – May 2018, Pastor Lloyd Pulley
"You gave us the talent. You gave us the strength. This team had so many injuries, so we had no business being here. But God, when you are for us, no one can be against us. Thank you for being for us."
A Philadelphia offensive lineman spoke these words in prayer to God right after his team won the world championship football game. This player and half a dozen others knelt in prayer, clasping each other's gloved hands and giving glory to God alone for their big game victory.
The Firewood
Living Stones Series: First Published in All Around Old Bridge Publication – April 2018, Pastor Lloyd Pulley
"I will just put them in the trunk of my car."
Kalene Redvanly’s face reddened ever so slightly as she quoted her great-grandfather, Thomas Safar.
Safar had known the Archbishop Samuel of Jerusalem, who had received seven pieces of ancient leather from Bedouin shepherds in the late 1940’s. During a trip to Jersey City, the Archbishop Samuel, who did not yet know the significance of the scrolls, casually handed them to Safar, who proceeded to store them in the trunk of his car.
Beyond Bunnies & Pastels: The Real Story of Easter
Living Stones Series: First Published in All Around Old Bridge Publication – March 2018, Pastor Lloyd Pulley
Bunnies. Candied eggs. Baskets. Pastels.
As I stood in a store a few weeks ago, I almost couldn't believe my eyes. Could Easter paraphernalia actually be donning shelves so early, even weeks before Valentine's Day?
Disappointment
Living Stones Series: First Published in All Around Old Bridge Publication – February 2018, Pastor Lloyd Pulley
Ah, February.
The heart of winter, and for some, the winter doldrums. Holiday bills are in, and we may still be paying for all of those Christmas excesses.
February – the month of Valentine’s Day and seemingly endless commercials for chocolates, flowers, and jewelry.
Against All Odds
Living Stones Series: First Published in All Around Old Bridge Publication – January 2018, Pastor Lloyd Pulley
"The Bible is full of fables and inaccuracies."
If only I had a dollar for every time I heard this criticism of the Bible! I often teach that one of the most unique features of the Bible is how historically and archeologically testable it is, even when compared to other religious writings. In fact, many archaeologists use the Bible in their quest to locate ancient civilizations.
A Return to True Thanksgiving
Living Stones Series: First Published in All Around Old Bridge Publication – November 2017, Pastor Lloyd Pulley
Have you noticed how stores seem to go from orange and black to red and green with nothing much in between? What ever happened to Thanksgiving? Has this national holiday become a glorified speed bump between two commercial moneymakers, Halloween and Christmas?
As each early elementary school student knows, Thanksgiving has its roots in the earliest days of this nation. The Pilgrims, who braved the unknown and faced disease, cold, and death, gathered with their Native American neighbors to thank God for their first harvest. These courageous men and women acknowledged that divine provision, protection, and providence brought them to and preserved them in this hard, untamed land. So they gave thanks.
United We Stand
Living Stones Series: First Published in All Around Old Bridge Publication – October 2017, Pastor Lloyd Pulley
The great Greek storyteller, Aesop, tells this tale:
A lion used to prowl about a field in which four oxen used to dwell. Many times he tried to attack them; but whenever he came near they turned their tails to warn another, so that whichever way he approached them he was met by the horns of one of them. At last, however, they fell a-quarrelling among themselves, and each went off to pasture alone in the separate corner of the field. Then the Lion attacked them one by one and soon made an end of all four.
The Challenges of Prosperity
Living Stones Series: First Published in All Around Old Bridge Publication – September 2017, Pastor Lloyd Pulley
If you could have just one thing in life, what would it be?
To win a billion-dollar lottery jackpot? To have a new house? A luxury vehicle? A better job? Or perhaps, if given a choice, you would want good health or a loving relationship.
AN INFORMED CHOICE
Living Stones Series: First Published in All Around Old Bridge Publication – October 2019, Pastor Lloyd Pulley
Several months ago some members of our church attended an event in New York City that celebrated the sanctity of life. Over 18,000 people gathered at the largest pro-life event in NYC history. ‘Alive From New York' was hosted by Focus on the Family and featured a series of speakers and a live ultrasound of an unborn baby shown on a big screen in Times Square. The baby's mother Abby Johnson is a former Abortion Clinic Director who is now one of pro-life's biggest voices.
A TIME FOR REVIVAL
Living Stones Series: First Published in All Around Old Bridge Publication – September 2019, Pastor Lloyd Pulley
The 90's were a pretty dark time in our nation's history. Drunkenness was epidemic. Profanity was in vogue. Women were afraid to go out at night for fear of assault. Bank robberies were an everyday occurrence. Churches were losing more members than they were gaining. Anti-Christian sentiment was at an all-time high.
Students in New Jersey rioted and burned a Bible taken from a local Presbyterian church in a public bonfire. In Princeton only two believers were discovered in the entire student body. Christian students met in secret like a communist cell and wrote their notes in code for fear of being found out. You may be thinking "That's not how I remember the 90's." It may come as a surprise, but I'm referring to the 1790's not the 1990's.
THE POWER OF ONE PRAYER
Living Stones Series: First Published in All Around Old Bridge Publication – August 2019, Pastor Lloyd Pulley
I often think about my grandmother who passed away over 25 years ago, at the ripe old age of 92. A simple woman raised on a farm; she married and raised five daughters and was left a widow by her husband's alcohol problem. After seeing her five daughters married, she lost a daughter to a stress induced heart attack at age 31.
At 60 she retired and became guardian of her deceased daughter's children. My three sisters and I were raised by a devoted Christian who took us to a small Baptist church down the road and enrolled us in Mrs. Vreeland's Bible Story Hour every Saturday morning.
AN UNEQUAL ACT
Living Stones Series: First Published in All Around Old Bridge Publication – July 2019, Pastor Lloyd Pulley
Recently the House of Representatives passed a bill called the Equality Act, which proclaims to be a protection from discrimination for the LGBTQ community. The law would expand the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which banned discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin to now include sexual orientation and gender identity.
Ending discrimination is something everyone can agree on. No one should be discriminated against or oppressed. But that's not what this bill is really about. Calling it the "Equality Act" is just a play on words. Adding this bill to the Civil Rights Act makes it seem like it is enforcing an inherent right. But when did imposing your beliefs on others become a Civil Right?
THE ROOT OF TRUTH
Living Stones Series: First Published in All Around Old Bridge Publication – May 2019, Pastor Lloyd Pulley
Does your hamper spark joy? Yes, the hamper that holds your dirty jeans. Although this question may seem odd, it's one that Marie Kondo of the "KonMari Method" would ask. Named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People, Kondo is a professional organizer and bestselling author of several books. Kondo's series of books on "tidying up" and "sparking joy" have sold over 10 million copies worldwide. Her Netflix series has sparked a decluttering craze leading to an influx of donations to charities including Goodwill and Salvation Army.