Backward Mutters

  • Sorrow is Better: Ecclesiastes 7:1-7

    Here’s a summary of the teaching of Ecclesiastes 7:1-6 which I will elaborate on Sunday morning. Ecclesiastes 7:1-6 (NIV) reads, “A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth. It is better to go to a house of mourning than…

  • Ecclesiastes Wisdom

    Began studying today for next Sunday’s sermon. I’ve been working on paraphrasing Ecclesiastes 7:1 which reads: “A good name is better than fine perfume.” Here’s my exposition: People will receive a stinking fool if he smells of fine perfume, but they will keep company with an honorable man even if…

  • The Real Power

    “Haven’t you been told that it’s strictly non-political?” “I’ve been told so many things that I don’t know whether I’m on my head or my heels,” said Mark. “But I don’t see how one’s going to start a newspaper stunt (which is about what this comes to) without being political.…

  • Confession: Water of Life

    I’ve been considering writing out prayers for our congregation’s worship service. Here’s this Sunday’s Confession. Our Heavenly Father, forgive us our sin. Instead of turning to you who is the fount of every blessing, we have dug cisterns of our own when we were thirsty. We have, in our stubbornness,…

  • Embittered Outrage

    I’ve been preaching my way through Ecclesiastes this summer, and I have been surprised at how many people comment that Ecclesiastes is their favorite book of the Bible. The reasons vary, but most seem to agree that the raw, brutal honesty of the Teacher’s commentary on the meaning of ‘life…