Strengthening What Remains (A Word to the Church)

I had breakfast with my dad recently. We were exploring what the Western church will look like on the other side of COVID-19. We agreed that even churches who have been open for months on-site are still running less than half of the live attendance they did a year ago. What will happen with the

The Discipline of the Lord (came swiftly and from the left side)

(Fort Worth, Texas circa 1969)   Dad is a southpaw.  There are two files in my memory that verify this fact.  One concerns the fact I could never use his baseball glove.  I could catch with it but I always threw like a girl (These days girls throw really well, so I have no idea

Preaching the Old Testament (isn’t G rated)

To preach the Old Testament, three distinct things are required.  First, you must be able to tell a popping good story.  Old Testament stories must not be read; they must be told!  Second, you must be able to surround the listeners with enough background to contextualize the event.  If a preacher does not do this,

Jesus People Quote

I was raised with the Jesus People.  Jesus People were hippies,,,but baptized.     -Rev. Shane L. Bishop      

The Stuff of Legacy (Reflections on Fred Bishop)

      Of all the things I can say about my father, it would be most accurate to say he loves God.  As a child, I watched him saunter for hours throughout an old IOOF (Independent Order of Odd Fellows) cemetery located across the street from our six-room Southern Illinois cottage.  In a strange

The Irrepressible Fred Bishop

Praise-a-Thons (Herrin, Illinois, circa 1988) For a while in the late 80’s, dad was active in Christian television.  Active in the same sense piranha are active when they encounter meat.  It was really a pretty good fit.  Television loves larger than life personalities and Fred Bishop is larger than several lives.  Dad loves to learn

A Football Story (It’s Really About Dad and Me)

I was watching Monday Night Football tonight.  Here is a story from “Exactly As I Remember It” about the Dallas Cowbays, Dad and Me. A Football Story (It’s Really About Dad and Me) (San Antonio, Texas, circa 1974)   As a boy, there were three holy services of worship each Sunday.  There was Sunday morning