Tom Allen

OK, so I've read all those things, like why do you Drive on a parkway and park on a driveway?   Why do they put expiration dates on Sour Cream?   All funny and interesting and entertaining.  But, as a pastor, I have to admit, I'm legitimately confused.  Why do we call the day Jesus died GOOD FRIDAY and the day that big bargains are available BLACK FRIDAY ?  Am I missing something here?  Isn't that backwards? I'm thinking Jesus would agree with me.  He prayed, " Father, let this cup pass from me".   Translation:  " I don't want to do this...at all...no way.  I'm requesting you reconsider and please come up with a Plan B." Sorry, from my perspective, this is a true BLACK FRIDAY .  But, God, in His power and wisdom has turned BLACK FRIDAY into a very GOOD FRIDAY.   OK, so I guess I'll just remain a CONFUSED PASTOR.   By the way, isn't that redundant?   CONFUSED PASTOR?

Biblical language can sometimes be confusing.  Jesus and Paul both talked about people who were "asleep", but neither was talking about sleeping.  It was the first century way of referring to death.  They weren't just sleeping, they were SLEEPING! Have you noticed how pop culture seems to go from one thing to the next.  One minute everyone's a vampire.  Then, vampires are yesterday's news and zombies are the new cool thing.  Zombies are the new cool thing. However, they are not new, by any means.  (See Night of the Living Dead)   I guess interest in zombies runs hot and cold.  Today, they're hot.  Tomorrow, who knows. Culture aside, the zombie problem has been around longer than any of us realize.  This Living Dead idea is not only a Hollywood phenomenon, it's a biblical reality.  God's Word proclaims the fact that all those around us who are without Christ are dead men.  Literally, spiritually dead.  They walk.  They talk.  They look perfectly no

What's a narcissist?  Sounds bad, doesn't it?  It is.  Let me give you the simple nickel definition: It's a person that's totally in love with themselves.  Yep, you were right.  It's bad.  It comes to us from Greek mythology, where a guy named Narcissus was bending over a pond and saw his reflection and thought, "Wow, that's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!".  You get the idea. So, why do I bring it up?  Well, because I believe the whole concept is one we battle against on a continuous basis.  If you're like me, there are some names and faces floating through your mind right now.  Pretty sure yours isn't one of them....but, you can think of a few without much trouble. Here's one for you:  Christian Narcissists.  Isn't that an oxymoron?  Can you be a Christian (totally in love with Jesus and those he died for), and a Narcissist (totally in love with all things ME )? Well, let's see.  Jesus gave us some very real or

I remember a great quote from Mel Brooks in the movie, History of the World, Part 1.   After doing whatever he wanted with absolutely no checks and balances, he simply stated, "It's good to be King!".   I guess it would be.  Have everything you want and do everything you want, with no impunity.  Sweet gig.  You don't always do the right thing...but, whatever you do is the right thing, for one simple reason...you're the King!  Sweet gig. I look at it another way.  I guess my mantra would be, " It's good not to be king!".   I met yesterday morning with the staff.  We discussed what we were doing, what we need to be doing and what we better be doing better or even different.  We agreed and disagreed and challenged one another...sometimes liking it and sometimes, not so much. Then, later, I met with my Executive Staff.  I heard about things I did well, things I should have done better and choices I could/should make that would be better for the churc

Life is not so much about what happens, as it is the direction that you're looking at it from.  I've seen, as have you, people's totally opposite reactions to the same event.  Both saw the same thing.  Both heard the same news.  Both experienced the same stimulus.  But, they responded totally oppositely to the same thing. The Resurrection is one of those things.  We, as Christ-followers, celebrate the Resurrection every Sunday.  But, we REALLY celebrate it on EASTER.  We build our calendars around it.  We plan for it.  Some get all dressed up for it.  Others, plan a feast for it.  We plan outreaches around it.  We, unapologetically invite everyone we know to join us in worshipping our risen Savior on this most special day of all days. Jesus' disciples got to experience the Resurrection up close and in person.  So, how did they get ready for Resurrection day?  By hiding out, laying low, feeling sorry for themselves and rethinking the purpose and plans they had for th

There's a thought for you.  You're probably thinking, " If you don't know what a Christian is, what are you doing being a pastor?"   Good question.  But, I'm asking you.  Here's the honest truth, if you asked 50 CHRISTIANS  what a Christian is, you might get 40 different answers.  And that's from CHRISTIANS!   If we're not sure, what chance do those who don't follow Christ have of getting it right?  For that matter, what chance do we have of winning the world if we're not sure what winning looks like?   CHRISTIAN. Is there any other word in the English language that is so emotionally charged?  Just the mention of that one word makes some smile, while it makes others curse.  It conjures up images of grace-filled, loving people in one person's mind, while at the same time, in another's mind comes pictures of judgmental, hypocritical, and non-tolerant hate-mongers. How can one word mean so many different things to so many pe

Personally, I like Daylight Savings Time.  But, every morning, I'm reminded that it's a misnomer.  When I get up it's dark.  After I've been up a while it's still dark.  That sun takes its pretty little time getting up.  This is, obviously, not Daylight Savings Time, but, rather, Daylight Postponement Time.  I know it's just a technicality, but I feel a need for accuracy. This is either the idea of the government or a woman...possibly a woman in the government.  The government can grow its expenditures by 20% and cut out 3% of its spending and tell us it saved us money, all while the deficit continues to pile up.  A woman can find an item she may or may not need, on sale for $10 off, buy five of them and come home after spending $100 she didn't intend to spend and announce to you how proud she is that she was able to save you $50 dollars. OK, so I've now successfully offended all government  workers and all women....my audience is being weeded out ra

It must be Spring.  Yes, I know it's barely March, but it's Spring.  How do I know?  My truck is yellow every morning.  I believe my sinuses are approximately the same color, although I can't prove it.  There may be a tree already have sprouted there.  I may be trimming the leaves growing from my nose soon. (But, as I am prone to do...I digress) Spring brings a lot of challenges to those of us who are allergic to life.  But, it also means that everything is coming back to life, turning green and starting to bloom.  It also means that Easter can't be far behind.  Easter is THE DAY.  It's the DAY OF ALL DAYS.  It's Christmas & the Fourth of July &  President's Day & Thanksgiving all rolled into one....only BIGGER!  It's the RESURRECTION OF JESUS. For a Christ-Follower, it's everything.  There's nothing bigger.  Nothing better.  Nothing in the same league.  The guy we trust with our lives and our sin and our future and our eternit

They say " Ignorance is bliss".   OK, I'm not sure who they  are...but they say it, and some people believe it.  In some ways it's true.  As long as you are totally ignorant of a situation, how bad it is, how much you can do about it, what Jesus would do, and, therefore, what a true follower of His would do, etc....it's sooo much easier.  The SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL, SPEAK NO EVIL mode of living has its benefits.  Ignorance is definitely easier.  You get to concentrate on YOU, YOURS, MINE & OURS.  You're not bothered by all those problems of somebody else out there in the world.  You can tuck yourself away in Suburbia and your greatest causes of concern are big things like Property Taxes, whether your kid makes the football team or the dance squad and how your 401K is doing in these trying economic times.  Yep, it's tough, but we get through somehow. Then, you go and blow it.  You venture out of the bubble...out of Suburbia...out of the First World

I've spent the last 3 days in the country of Haiti.  Adam Bateman, our Missions Pastor and I came here to "spy out the land" and see if this was a place we should engage in doing work for the Lord.  Our purpose in coming was simply to be the "eyes and ears of God", that He might give us, hopefully, a resounding "Yes" or "No" as to what we are to do. What we've seen is unbelievable poverty, people who are going nowhere (" Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained"), and the needs are great. So, what's the word from God?  We have been looking for a word like, This is where I have for you to work...This is what your assignment is in my Kingdom's service...Here is the village you are to serve...this is the task I have destined for you... or even, This is a great place of service, but it's not the place I have destined for you. That would make things so simple, but God is often either not that simple, or