Ken Pierpont's Blog, page 130

An Achievement

In Boston today an American won the Marathon for the first time since the early 80′s. He ran over 26 miles in just a little over two hours. I have spent much of the winter in my recliner.

I go to the closet and get a plastic bag.

Hazard springs to attention a look of delight, or is it shock, on his face.

I step into my worn sandals and walk out the door into an evening that smells and sounds like springtime.

The evening breeze carries the scent of mown grass and grilled meat.

On the porch the wind moves the chimes.

In the distance a few Canada Geese honk.

In the woods along the creek a Wood-thrush calls.

On the street a runner shuffles past.

A block away children laugh and play.

In the park a swing complains form a long winter of disuse.

In a Blue Spruce a Mourning Dove Coos.

Out on the main road a throaty Harley rumbles by.

At the north end of the pond boys banter and fish.

It’s been a long, hard, snowy, cold, unrelenting winter but I have made it out of my recliner and around the pond for the first time this year.

They say the smallest deed is better than the grandest intention and the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step and you have to start somewhere and the slothful man will go hungry… so… I’m out of my recliner.

There were no cheering crowds but it was a satisfying achievement.

Ken Pierpont

Granville Cottage

Riverview, Michigan

April 21, 2014

I Had No Idea

It’s been a very long, very hard winter, but spring has finally come. Monday was the last day of March and it dawned clear and warm. It was sunny and spring-like and it was opening day of baseball season for the home-town Detroit Tigers. Everyone was wearing their Tigers hats and shirts and jackets. There was a holiday atmosphere around town.

I had some coffee, did some writing, and made small-talk with the locals at Starbucks. Holly was flying in from Oregon. I picked her up from the airport and we went to brunch and caught up. It was a relaxed day off for me. In the back of my mind I remembered what a mess our yard was from a winter of wet wind-fall leaves. I thought I should spend some time raking the yard on my day off since it was such a nice day, but I pressed that unpleasant thought to the back of my mind.

I had said nothing about my thoughts to Lois, but when I turned the corner and pulled up in front of Granville Cottage there were half dozen yard-waste bags lined up at the curb and not a single leaf in the yard. While I was running my errands, drinking coffee, and eating brunch, Lois and Hope had raked the front yard, bagged the leaves, and started to work on the back yard. I helped a bit on the back but they did the bulk of the work.

We have been married almost 35 years. While I was pushing the leaf-raking out of my mind Lois was raking the leaves and stuffing them into bags. When I met Lois I was taken with her beauty and her quiet ways. As a young man I did not have the maturity or experience to see what a loyal, hard-worker she would be or how valuable that would be to me and to the eight children we would have together.

Proverbs 31 extols the various values of the virtuous wife. The passage says; “Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also and he praises her..” That is what I’m doing now.

Ken Pierpont

Granville Cottage

Riverview, Michigan

April 2, 2014

Where Were You?

The sun’s up and it’s a beautiful day in our part of the world. It’s Opening Day for the Tigers in Detroit. The temps are supposed to climb to near 60 today! We haven’t seen that since October. There are new birdsongs in the neighborhood these days. Some of our “snowbird members have returned from the other peninsula state. Yesterday after church Dan and Wes fished the Muskegon. We opened the door after church for a moment and looked away and Hazard darted out the door and beat it around the neighborhood as if to say. I’ve been inside all winter—enough! I know how the little animal feels. I want to dart out the door into the sunshine today, too. Spring is here!

—————————

Where were you when creation first dawned on you? What was it about creation that first took away your breath or made your heart beat fast? Was it a pounding surf, or a vast night sky? Was it a mountain range or a cluster of glorious hills? Was it the first Dogwoods in spring or the first flush of autumn? What was it about creation that gave the first tug on your heart upward to God or put a question-mark in your soul about things ultimate and eternal? Was it the call of the Loon on a northern lake, or a gaggle of geese honking their way across a grey October sky against the face of a full moon? Was there something in the scent of the lilac at the corner of your house borne on the evening wind wafting your curtains? What was it in this vast created universe that stirred your thoughts godward? Was it a sunrise or a sunset over Lake Michigan that snatched your breath away in wonder? Was it the sound of frogs or crickets on a summer night—music in the moist night air?

David said; “When I consider the heavens the work of your fingers, the moon and stars that you ordained… what is man…?” He said; “The heavens continually shout the glory of God. The sky is his handiwork.”

When did God’s creation first draw you toward God? Was it when you first looked on the face of your own child fresh from the womb that your knees bent in worshipful wonder to God?

I think I remember the exact place and time. I was spent from a long day of stacking bails of hay wagons and throwing them into the hay mow. I was full from a picnic in the evening or pork and beans and potato salad and fat burgers and sweet tea and watermelon. I was tired from an evening with my sister and my brothers and by cousins impatiently fishing for catfish and crappie and bluegills and bass in the pond with cane poles. The sun had set and the farm had grown quiet. I was lying on the porch secure and happy—just resting. The sun had gone over the western hills and away hours ago and for the first time this boy who lived in the suburbs of a major city focused out into the inky night sky and what I saw there has never left my heart.

There was only one night light on the old farm, it was a mercury vapor light on a pole over the garage. It cast a single ring of light so a person could make their way into the house from the car. The light was off. Other than the soft lamps glowing within the house there were no other lights anywhere in sight than the thousands upon thousands of distant suns shining out in the vastness of the night sky.

My little heart just drank in the beauty and the mystery of it. In my mind I tried to imagine the size and the scope of space. How far did it go and how long has it been there? It it true what they say—it has always been and it has no end? I tried to wrap my young mind around the idea of eternity lying there on the porch looking out into the night sky. I tried to imagine infinity something that goes on out into space and has no end. It was beyond my ability to reason.

Without realizing what was happening in my soul I’m sure that it was then that I began to sense that there are things about God and his creation that can be experienced and enjoyed but not explained. There are things about God and his scope and size—things about his power and eternity that I can not understand or explain, but they stir my heart to worship and wonder all the same. I would not have called it worship at the time, but that is what it was.

Ken Pierpont

Granville Cottage

Riverview, Michigan

March 31, 2014

What Are You Good At?

Bob was a quiet man. It was hard to get him to talk. You would ask him a question and he would wait for his wife to bail him out. I figured something out though. There was one thing Bob didn’t let his wife speak for him about: The Cincinnati Reds. He knew every player. He knew every manager. He knew every statistic. He knew Riverfront Stadium. He knew the legends and the lore the history and the future prospects of the Reds. He had a radio by his chair and he listened to Marty Brenneman and the Old Left-hander, Joe Nuxall call every play of every game. He knew the Reds inside and out. If there was a bench-clearing brawl he knew which of the relievers in the bull-pen that was most likely to dive into the pile and come out with someone’s ear in his mouth. He was an expert.

Most of you know that I am the pastor of a church. The church is named Good News! Evangel! I have a dream for this church. I have a dream of a church named Evangel-Good News Baptist—Gospel Baptist—that lives boldly up to her name. A church with 600 members and growing where hundreds of members know the Gospel like Bob knew the Cincinnati Reds.

This year I am preaching through the Epistle to the Romans. One of my main objectives is to use it to train our people to be experts in believing, applying and explaining the gospel. We are going to take a fresh look at the Gospel today and in the weeks to follow an in-depth view… We are going to study the book of the Bible with the clearest and most extended treatment of the gospel. We are going to get our advanced certification in Gospel. I want the members and friends of Evangel to be experts in explaining the gospel.

We have a little strategy at Evangel we call it Operation Evangel. It goes like this: Pray, Love, Invite, Gospel Conversation. It is amazing what can happen in whole families when you simply pray for people, look for ways to love them, invite them to church and into your life, and have natural give-and-take conversations that include clear explanations of the gospel.

Last night two young ladies stood to sing a beautiful song. Before they sang one of them said, “We knew each other before either of us were walking with the Lord. Now here we are in the same church. Because of the diligent love or our members these women and their families came to be followers of Jesus. I baptized all of them right here at Evangel.

What in the world do you know that more important then making the way to heaven clear to people? What in this world is more important than that?

Who are you praying for?

Who are you loving?

Who are you inviting?

Who are you engaging in gospel conversation?



Ken Pierpont

Granville Cottage

Riverview, Michigan

March 17, 2014

Secrets Revealed!

The Bible says that there is no such thing as a secret act. A few years ago during a heated rivalry game between Georgia and the University of Florida one of the players got his helmet ripped off and his eye scratched. He waited for an opportunity to retaliate and later in the game, during a pile-up, after the play was whistled dead, he reached into his opponent’s helmet and tried to gouge his eyes. He thought no one saw, but he was wrong. The incident was captured on film and now the video of his low-life behavior is all over the internet in slow motion. He was suspended and his team has issued an apology. What he thought was a secret act is public.

How many times have you heard that story in some form? Let’s live secretly with a great awareness that all we do is open before God and there are no real secrets.

Let’s be aware that no matter how carefully you live, you will not want to stand before God unless you stand in the righteousness of the only One whose secret acts could be revealed without shame and without sin. Christ is our righteousness. Christ died for our shameful sins. We must be hidden in Him.

Proverbs 5:21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, And He ponders all his paths.

Luke 8:17 For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.

Ecclesiastes 12:14 For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.

Matthew 10:26 Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

Mark 4:22 For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.

Romans 2:16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.

1 Corinthians 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Revelation 20:11-12 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. [12] And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.

Brandon Spikes, the eye-gouger, is not alone. Who of us would want our shameful acts and attitudes displayed in slow-motion for the world to see over and over again? God help us live by God’s help in such a way that we will not be ashamed when secret things are revealed.

Meeting God in a Plymouth Fury

My dad gave us an old four-door Plymouth Fury. Ours was very similar to this picture, except I remember that the grill in the front was all in one section and not divided. We hit a small deer and knocked out the grill and did not replace it which, the kids agreed, gave the car the appearance of a shark. We called it the Great White Shark. It wasn’t the most appealing car, but it was faithful and I have some memories of it, one of which I will tell you here.

Years ago I was starting a church and trying to make ends meet financially I took part-time work in a factory. It was loud and there were many around me who did not know and love God. The environment was coarse to say the least. On my fifteen-minute break I would dash to my car and there in the quietness of my old white Plymouth, in the parking lot of a factory, I would open my Bible and meet with the Lord. To this day I cherish sweet memories of that.

Remember the old hymn, Draw Me Nearer? “O the pure delight of a single hour, that before thy throne I spend. When I kneel in prayer and with thee, my God, I commune as friend with friend.”

Saturday I drove home from a meeting in Grand Rapids alone. It was a beautiful, sunny, winter day in Michigan and I drove along the familiar route alone with the Lord quiet in my Jeep, just allowing the silence and solitude and rest my soul. It was a good trip. I didn’t listen to music or messages like I often do, I just enjoyed the simple comfort of silence.

The faster the world turns for us the more important it is to find a way regularly to cultivate the inner life and nurture our spirits. Business and distraction can leave us without reflection or refreshment. This can sap the joy out of life and leave us vulnerable to the enemy of our souls.

According to Romans 8:6, to be spiritually minded is LIFE and PEACE, but to be carnally minded is death. One way to cultivate your spirit is to be sure you include three things in every day as early as possible. These three things were in Jesus life, even though he was very busy and very, very productive. Jesus did not neglect solitude, silence, and simplicity. Get alone. Be quiet. Listen to God. Keep things very simple. Know the one thing you are living for and how everything you do contributes to that ONE THING.

I have to go. The sun is coming up. I want to go alone and spend some time with my Bible open and my heart quiet alone before the Lord. I like to start every day on my face before Him and I like his word to be the last word on my heart before I drift into sleep at night. Yesterday my heart was touched with this:

Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy. Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee. Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily. Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications. In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me. Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works. All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name. For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone. Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore. For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell. (Psa 86:1-13 KJV)

Hope you can make some time for solitude, silence and simplicity in your day today.

What Your Children Need Most From You

Years ago, when we first began to learn together at home (home-school) I was overcome with worry about whether or not we would be able to provide for our children the academic and training opportunities they would need. I was concerned about leaving something out.

I love my children with a powerful love, but my Heavenly father loves my children even more than you do.

I know my children, but my Heavenly Father knows my children even better than you do.

I am not sure what is going to happen tomorrow, but my Heavenly Father knows every future detail.

Events are, for the most part, out of my control, but my Heavenly Father controls the future.

My job as a parent is not to predict my children’s future

My job as a parent is not to control my children’s future

I cannot know what preparation they need because I don’t know what God has in mind for them, but I can know God and I can be confident that since he loves me and my children and since He orders the future four our good and His glory, I know He will direct me to whatever teaching, training, experiences, and relationships my children need to do whatever He has called them to do.

Each child has a unique bent, a unique calling, a unique purpose in the plan of God. Our job is to help them find that and prepare them for it. You are a principle player in the drama of life that God has scripted for them. He will give you special direction so you can give them special direction. He will tug your heart and your will in the direction that they need if you love them and if you are in intimate fellowship with Him.

Your most important responsibility to your children is to stay in close fellowship with your Heavenly Father. He is the One who loves you, loves your children, knows their future, and controls their future. If they need something and you are in fellowship with Him, h e will let you know. He will make a way. He will provide what is needed. He will bring people across your path just in time to provide the training or the opportunity they need.

Ken Pierpont

Granville Cottage

February 19, 2024

How to Change

Today Ralph Waite died. Here is an article I wrote about him a while back:

I’m a pastor. I’m always trying to inspire and motivate people to change. I’m forever helping people who want to change—change. Let me teach you one of the most valuable things I have learned about how to want to change and how to change. If you want to change, change the way you act. If you want to change the way you feel, change the way you act. Act the way you want to be. Act the way you want to feel.

This is true in the natural. It’s just wired into our God-given design, but the Bible teaches that in the life of a believer this is “super-charged.” It is supernaturally enabled by the Holy Spirit. You can read all about it in Romans 6:15-23. For now though let me give you an interesting example that I stumbled on recently.

Ralph Waite

Ralph Waite had a problem with alcohol. He had a troubled marriage. He was not the father he wanted to be. At one time he had been a Presyterian minister. He studied at Bucknell and Yale Divinity School, but his nine-year-old daughter died of leukemia and he left the ministry. Now his faith was lapsed and he was estranged from his church, but something happened that changed his life.

Acting Like a Good Dad

He began to act like a good, loving dad. When I say “act” I mean it quite literally. He began to act every day like a patient, loving, caring, understanding father. He began to act for hours every day like a loving husband and a kind, thoughtful loving son to aging parents. How did that happen? He landed a job as an actor and he played the part of John Walton on a popular television series that ran from 1972 to 1981. He became the Father on a television program that captured America’s heart for nine years.

For nine years Ralph Waite was pain 10,000.00 dollars a week to act like a good dad. Here is the amazing thing. During that time he became a good dad. Here is what one article said:

“Waite — now 38 years sober — was an alcoholic when he first began shooting “The Waltons.” It didn’t take long for Waite to realize he was living a life contradictory to the role of the hardworking, reliable father he was playing on TV. “I was a caring, responsible father to all of these kids,” he said. “But I was drinking the night before and being a drunk on the side. I found a way to get sober. Hollywood changed my life,” he said. “It turned me into a human being.”

These nine years happened to be the exact nine years of my youth. Every Thursday night of the world from the time I was 12 to the time I was 21 I watched the Waltons if I could. I do not doubt that the show had a significant influence on my life.

Every Waltons episode began with the voice of Earl Hamner setting up the story and ended with a shot of the Walton’s home at night and the sound of the family saying good-night to one another.

Still today, many years later, the characters of the show all say when people recognize them they will almost universally say; “Good night John-boy.”

Next time you see a re-run remind yourself of the truth that Ralph Waite learned: “If you want to change, change the way you act.”

Ken Pierpont

Writing from Lafayette, Indiana

February 11, 2013

Grab Them by the Throat

I’m a pastor. Much of what I do involves the thoughtful arrangement of words. I try not to use the first word that comes to mind when trying to deliver the truth of God. Instead I work hard at arranging my words and phrases in such a way that people cannot sleep through them.

I used embellished language… By embellished language I do not mean stretching the truth or distorting the truth for my own purpose. By embellished language I do not mean using impressive or obtuse vocabulary and specialized language that requires a glossary to define. By embellished language I mean arranging or expressing simple words in memorable and evocative ways, like aphorisms or axioms or with a compelling cadence or rhythm.

If words are thoughtfully arranged they can express truths that are often lost in a fog of abstraction and make them as concrete as blood and ice and flowers and life and death.

Often we preachers deal in the most wonderful and eternal truths in such abstract ways that people are completely unmoved. Our words float harmlessly over their heads. Our terms and phrases are so tired and worn and familiar that we are unable to rouse them from their sleep in the face of immanent death. We string together lifeless cliches and wonder why people worship without passion and come and go dutifully from our public services unmoved and unchanged.

Paul used plain language. His language was clear and direct and his message was accompanied by spiritual power. (2 Corinthians 2:4) There is no substitute for the Spirit’s power. We are called to speak for God. We should study the Word of God and pray until we know that what we are saying is faithful to the text and evident in our lives. Then we should express ourselves in plain language and in clear, concrete, fresh, and arresting ways.

Grab them by the throat, I like to say.

Misty Snow at Dusk

Photo by the Amazing Bill Fortney

My intense love of nature is being tested by this relentless winter but it’s six in the evening now and it’s not fully dark yet. The lingering dusk and a white mist of snow in the air are softening my heart to her again.