tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56464392011-04-21T19:33:44.164-07:00Sniffing out the work of God in this world.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.comBlogger7241100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1141874980215551352006-03-09T03:42:00.000-08:002006-03-09T04:17:55.436-08:00

Tomorrow, this little series on the Bible will continue. But for today, here's the big news. This will, probably, be my last day to post on mikecope.blogspot.com. It's been a nice home for the past two and a half years. But beginning tomorrow, I'll be found at www.preachermike.com. The name is chosen because that's what so many of kids at Highland call me. Either "Preacher Mike," or, a few

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1141776888277608522006-03-08T03:25:00.000-08:002006-03-08T05:42:14.700-08:00

The B-I-B-L-E #2 Another shocking discovery of my early life was this: people wrote the Bible. Real, live people. People who did not have perfect lives or perfect insight into the mind of God. People who wrote in their language, using their own vocabulary and style. Luke's writing is polished; John's is more like someone who was trying to connect with the middle schoolers (simpler syntax

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1141735234837451212006-03-07T04:20:00.000-08:002006-03-07T04:42:40.413-08:00

The B-I-B-L-E Here is one of the most shocking discoveries of my early life: the Bible has to be interpreted. I know that's a no-brainer. But I grew up thinking that what set us apart from all other religious groups is that we just believed the Bible. God said it. We believed it. That settled it. Other people had creeds. Others twisted it because they liked musical instruments or didn't

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1141654944465390202006-03-06T06:08:00.000-08:002006-03-06T07:01:58.783-08:00

Some of the books that continue to impact me no matter how many times I return to them: Richard Hays, The Moral Vision of the New Testament Eugene Peterson, Five Smooth Stones for Pastoral Work and Working the Angles Nicholas Wolterstorff, Lament for a Son Frederick Buechner, Telling the Truth: the Gospel As Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline Dallas

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1141422626890984722006-03-04T04:42:00.000-08:002006-03-04T10:11:17.716-08:00

Here is the picture that was supposed to go out with a Christmas letter. It's from our trip to Estes Park last summer. So "Merry Christmas from the Copes" (either very belatedly or very early). I've been working with a lot of old pictures, getting a presentation ready for a family gig. Here is my beloved's high school graduation picture (posted withOUT permission): And here she is a

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1141308933342067032006-03-03T04:02:00.000-08:002006-03-04T05:21:38.460-08:00

I love what's happening at the Walden Media group, the ones who produced "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." Check out their website for films they have coming, including one based on the life of William Wilberforce. My buddy Darryl Tippens just heard Michael Flaherty, president of the company, speak and said he's a seriously devoted Christ-follower. - - - - Meals are such a dance with

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com48tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1141057960332804202006-03-02T04:18:00.000-08:002006-03-02T04:57:00.856-08:00

Highland just received an invitation to the "Contending for the Faith" lectureship with such scintillating class topics as (I kid you not): "Are We Holding a Form of Anti-ism Because We Oppose False Doctrine and False Teachers in ACU, OCU, Harding, FHU, DLU, and the Like?" "Are We Occupying an 'Anti' Position When We Oppose the Church of Christ Disaster Relief Agency?" "Anti-ism Is Not God's

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com77tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1141052285492085702006-03-01T03:24:00.000-08:002006-03-01T09:25:29.286-08:00

Ah, "There's No Pulpit Like Home." . . . And, happy birthday to my friend Anna Claire. . . . And, an introduction to Good Soil Ministries, run by my brother-in-law, Steve Meeks. - - - - I mentioned recently hearing Bob Russell talk about the toll that criticism takes over the long haul. He told about an Easter service a couple years ago that he thought was the best he'd ever been part of.

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1141056770659937572006-02-28T03:24:00.000-08:002006-02-28T10:56:39.870-08:00

Here are a couple photos of Kerri Lane and her girls serving communion at Highland. The memorial service will be today at 11:00. - - - - If you have a high speed connection, check out this clip. Thanks, DU, for the link. [NOTE: At 6:30 this morning, this link wasn't working. See my note in the comments. ESPN's version is available on video at espn.com.]

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1141013977989811742006-02-27T03:58:00.000-08:002006-02-27T04:21:07.576-08:00

He was more than just King Nebuchadnezzar. He was “Nebuchadnezzar, Inc.” Fresh from a great military victory at Carchemish over the Egyptians (605 B.C.), he was maybe the most secure man in the universe. Youth, strength, wealth, clout–all were his! He was a steel tank, a shining knight, a superhero. Besides all that, his name was impressive. As one third-grade girl wrote to me: “Dear Mr.

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1140997845399989882006-02-26T15:49:00.000-08:002006-02-26T15:50:45.440-08:00

Jerry's sermon this morning was profound. Speaking from Matthew 6:1-18, he talked about the addiction of approval. I would encourage everyone to download it from our podcast (in a couple days) and listen to it. Many of us probably need to hear it about once a month!

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1140274475340628202006-02-25T06:46:00.000-08:002006-03-06T06:25:07.013-08:00

Most years no one wanted to bother running against Bob Hunter. It wasn't worth the time and effort. Bob has been such a respected state representative that he always cruised through elections--with or without opponents. Bob was never afraid to cross political boundaries to support important causes. This year he isn't running for reelection because he's battling prostate cancer. So my

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1140782848612080712006-02-24T03:55:00.000-08:002006-02-24T05:35:55.103-08:00

From the No-Wonder-So-Many-People-Hate-Christianity Department: A dozen states are scrambling to restrict picketing at funerals. They're doing it because Pastor Fred Phelps and his Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, consider it their mission to protest at the funerals of American troops. They believe that what's happening in Iraq is God's judgment on America for our toleration of gays.

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1140698023883940482006-02-23T06:30:00.000-08:002006-02-23T07:09:18.183-08:00

Earlier this week I wrote a post for this morning, knowing I wouldn't have time today. It's the one I posted earlier. But now I'm going to stop and take the time to post again. Kerri Lane died last night. She was an amazing woman--a godly mom raising two of the sweetest girls in the world (kindergarten and 4th grade) by herself. This past summer, in the midst of her battle with melanoma, she

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1139775475045889912006-02-23T03:54:00.000-08:002006-02-23T04:14:12.846-08:00

I weary of the triumphal claims made by some about healing. Here's the truth: lots of godly people who pray for healing don't get well--at least not in the way they hoped for. It isn't because God doesn't love them or because not enough people had real faith. So much damage is done by supersaints who claim that healing is a done deal to those who believe. Yet on the other hand, we aren't

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1140611599254503292006-02-22T04:22:00.000-08:002006-02-22T04:33:19.300-08:00

The new issue of Wineskins is on unity and has several excellent articles. (Great job, GT.) But please, please don't miss the article entitled "Circle of Fire: Barton Stone and a Spiritual Model of Unity" by Gary Holloway at wineskins.org. This piece by Gary, a member of the Bible faculty at Lipscomb, confirms again my belief that, under the leadership of Randy Lowry, a lot of growth and

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1140494051806840452006-02-21T16:18:00.000-08:002006-02-21T05:35:32.206-08:00

Later this week I'll be meeting about 20 guys whom I've met with for a day or two each year for 20 years, usually right after the ACU lectureship. When we started we were all young preachers in Churches of Christ. Through the years, there have been lots of ups and downs that we've celebrated together and grieved together. We've connected with each other through divorce, death, struggles,

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1140436474893599152006-02-20T03:45:00.000-08:002006-02-20T03:54:36.486-08:00

This morning I'm supposed to talk about how and why I got into blogging. I'm just trying to remember how and why I got into this class. I just looked back to see what my first blog entry was about. It was on August 4, 2003, which is probably old by blogging standards. Here it is: Monday, August 04, 2003 We just returned from Pensacola Beach--our 15th straight year in the same condo (since

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1140280201847690992006-02-19T04:01:00.000-08:002006-02-19T04:07:47.636-08:00

As I sit here in my office praying over this text that won't let me go--Matthew 5:43-48--I remember these words of William Willimon: "'The Trouble with you preachers is that you are always talking about something so far removed from my world, where I really live, as to be incomprehensible. Keep your sermons close to the real world,' he said to me as we shook hands at the church door. "I turned

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1140195944657089652006-02-18T05:32:00.000-08:002006-02-18T05:47:38.246-08:00

Several years I went to the National Prayer Breakfast. It was a good experience, but there was nothing there that year quite like Bono's prophetic words this year. - - - - Thanks to a reader of this blog, there will be Krispy Kreme donuts at our 8:30 class Monday morning at the ACU lectureship. Greg Kendall-Ball, Travis Stanley, and I are teaching a class called "Blogging Isn't a Dirty Word."

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1140148202500938722006-02-17T03:58:00.000-08:002006-02-17T09:06:11.843-08:00

I've always been a runner. I've enjoyed both jogging with friends (thousands of miles with Leon in the Searcy days) and training alone in early morning hours. I've had fun with 5Ks, 10Ks, and marathons. All right, "fun" is a bit too strong a word for the marathons. But the overall experiences were fun. (Who wouldn't like running 26 miles through all five boroughs of NYC?) One year I set

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1140096389028041312006-02-16T05:20:00.000-08:002006-02-16T07:14:37.903-08:00

Check out www.nomoregoats.com to see the exciting plans of a young Highland couple! - - - - Good words from Wade Hodges, this year's director of the Tulsa Workshop, in response to some criticism that's been raised about this year's program. I'm looking forward to doing a keynote and joining my amigo Randy Harris in a class called "Totally Outrageous Stories for a Troubled World." - - - - One

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1140021816845531752006-02-15T08:38:00.000-08:002006-02-15T08:43:36.886-08:00

We all know how important small groups are to churches. The larger you get, the smaller you must get. But here's my question: what should those groups be doing? I love the Larry Crabb vision of groups as a place of intergenerational connecting where we engage each other deeply with gospel values. We learn one another's stories and help each other through prayer, encouragement, mentoring, and

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1139851318105943912006-02-14T04:02:00.000-08:002006-02-14T04:29:29.396-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day, my dear. Our first date was 29 years ago today. "Through it all, love remains." L, M. - - - - If you want to know more about why I think Albert Pujols is the greatest player in baseball (besides sheer talent), check here. - - - - For today, a classic piece from Henri Nouwen, taken from his "secret journal," written during a difficult time in his life: "Giving

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1139695466804544632006-02-13T04:32:00.000-08:002006-02-13T04:42:14.783-08:00

Today I'm interviewing Jerry Taylor, a member of the Bible faculty at ACU and the new associate preaching minister for Highland. How can I say this simply? THE GUY CAN PREACH. In fact, he's giving a keynote address this year at the North American Christian Convention (the annual gathering of leaders of the Christian Churches). Jerry, would you tell us a little about the New Wineskins Retreat

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1139804045295764362006-02-12T20:11:00.000-08:002006-02-12T20:14:05.346-08:00

Please be sure and find Clint's comment in yesterday's blog -- along with some of the responses from others. He's an amazing man of God whose life took a sudden turn in a minor, freakish motorcycle accident with major consequences. - - - - The "Invisible Children" presentation tonight was convicting. If it comes anywhere near you, please be sure to go. The one-hour documentary was amazing

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1139712502290464472006-02-11T18:43:00.000-08:002006-02-11T19:04:22.220-08:00

In addition to giving the Tuesday night message at the ACU lectureship, I apparently agreed to join Travis and Greg, two ACU M. Div. students, in a class on blogging. It's for those who can't fit into Randy Harris's class -- or any of the other excellent classes. Monday morning, February 20. Come join the fun. By the way, I think it would help attendance if we could get ahold of some Krispy

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1139577406826945182006-02-10T05:00:00.000-08:002006-02-10T05:16:47.146-08:00

All abuse coming to me is richly deserved. A pastors' conference in Kauai? Those Christian Church guys know how to pick a conference site. In Churches of Christ, we usually go for exotic places like Abilene, Lubbock, and Midland. (Well, there is that annual pilgrimage to Malibu.) Actually, I think this was exotic even for them. They went there because this is the last year for Bob Russell (

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1139495698869951282006-02-09T06:31:00.000-08:002006-02-09T06:34:58.913-08:00

Diane and I just finished a flight through the night to get to LAX. I canNOT sleep well on a plane at night. We've been at a "megachurch senior pastors" conference that is held annually by senior pastors of Christian churches. This year there were five of us (out of about fifty) from Churches of Christ. It was a good gathering. I'll try to write more later. But now I'm seriously tired.

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1139328146815739582006-02-07T07:49:00.000-08:002006-02-07T08:02:27.160-08:00

Chris has been getting to hang with my mom this week while we've been out of town. (More on that later.) Through the years, Grandma and Papa have been lifesavers. At times, the kids have gone to Missouri; at other times Grandma has come to our home. When Megan was alive, once a year Mom would keep the kids for a week. It's hard to explain what a gift that was. Megan, our beloved daughter,

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1139236512851017302006-02-06T06:28:00.000-08:002006-02-06T06:35:15.426-08:00

Today, I am interviewing one of my elders, David Wray, for the blog. There's so much I could tell you about David. First, the obvious. The guy is tall. Real tall (6'9"). Have you seen "Glory Road"? The year after they won the national title, David played against them when he was ACU's center. He's a godly husband, father, and granddad. As an elder, he is a constant source of wisdom. He

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1138970096936681302006-02-03T04:08:00.000-08:002006-02-03T04:37:14.926-08:00

Here are the Cliff Notes to the book of Revelation: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) That's one way to say it. Another way is with a zoo (lamb, horses, eagle, locusts, leopard, bear, lion, beast), numbers (3.5, 7, 12, 1000, 144,000, 666), symbols (seals, trumpets,

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1138833452163188252006-02-02T16:02:00.000-08:002006-02-02T04:14:26.176-08:00

Yesterday, after a few requests, I checked into the possibility of a podcast. Here's what I found out: we already have one! It had just started, and I just didn't realize it. You can find it in Itunes by typing "Highland Church of Christ" in the search area. Not many sermons yet, but we'll add more. I'll try to make sure Randy's series is on there. Last night was amazing as he spoke about

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com62tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1138378476895957672006-02-01T03:56:00.000-08:002006-02-01T04:09:08.926-08:00

Tonight Randy Harris, a beloved member of Highland and a gift to Churches of Christ all over the world, is going to begin a three-week series called "Great Is the Mystery: God in the Darkness." (Come early for fajitas at the Oasis meal, served 5:15-6:30, if you can.) For those of you who are too far to come tonight, don't worry. Randy works this material up for his own church and then shares

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1138379147177972072006-01-31T04:06:00.000-08:002006-01-31T15:35:04.960-08:00

One of the talented women of our church has been asked several times to write for a magazine owned by the Gospel Advocate. She was invited to write again for a spring issue, which she did. But then word came back that her articles were no longer welcome because she's a member of Highland. The Gospel Advocate has the right to do that, of course. They can decide which churches meet their

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com65tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1138374225948316942006-01-30T04:02:00.000-08:002006-01-30T04:23:15.790-08:00

Here are five words I like: ambiguity, mystery, complexity, paradox, and nuance. Am I totally goofed up? How about you? What words speak from your soul?

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com55tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1138291971003959042006-01-27T03:54:00.000-08:002006-01-27T04:05:19.053-08:00

My Five Suits I don't usually preach with a coat and tie now. Coats make me hot, and I've never liked ties. I still wear them at times, but not often. Not trying to be cool, just prefer that, and it seems to fit our changing church. But there was a time when I preached in suits: the College Church in the 1980s. When I went to try out there in March of 1984, I didn't own a suit. One reason

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com54tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1138223753692428392006-01-26T04:27:00.000-08:002006-01-26T07:12:09.426-08:00

Update (added at 9:00 a.m.): Jim Morrison is out of Zambia, thanks to the American embassy. He's very thankful for all your prayers. Hopefully he'll be back by Sunday. Of course, as you can imagine, there is much difficult emotional work ahead. Thanks for your concern for this good family. - - - - I've pointed you a couple times to the stuff Steve Holt, Jr., is writing here. Check out

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1138162952205677552006-01-25T04:36:00.000-08:002006-01-25T04:45:40.470-08:00

My last e-mail yesterday from Jim indicated that he thinks he's going to be allowed to leave Zambia. Thanks for your prayers. Please let them continue for Dr. Jim, his family, and the Zambian family. (I'll update as soon as I hear something.) - - - - I just finished oiling Chris's glove. It's the one that's been in our family since Matt was 10. I still love the smell of a freshly oiled

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com84tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1138058694444327042006-01-23T11:26:00.000-08:002006-01-24T06:01:32.396-08:00

Many of you have read a few things I've written about Dr. Jim (Morrison) before. He's a good friend of mine, a man who's always thinking and praying about missional living -- and then acting on those thoughts and prayers. (The same could be said for his wife, Tracy.) He's the ER physician who camped out in the ICU unit at Cook's right after the wreck so he could be with the families of the

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1137881287035718372006-01-22T02:03:00.000-08:002006-01-22T04:28:08.120-08:00

Thanks, thanks to our gracious hosts, the College Church in Fresno. Lee and Bill, the world's greatest chefs, you and your gang outdid yourselves! As Leonard Sweet said after Friday evening's meal, "If steak were a religion, this place would be a cathedral!" - - - - It's not necessarily wrong to switch churches. There are several good reasons someone might decide they need to do so. But I'm

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1137859486971940332006-01-21T07:59:00.000-08:002006-01-21T08:04:47.010-08:00

What a treat to be at the Fresno Zoe Conference -- especially since I had to cancel at the last minute last year because we were at Cook's Children's hospital following the wreck. These are incredible folks here at College Church who host the conference each January. When I agreed to come, I didn't know this would be the weekend of the 7th grade "A" team tournament. Apparently last night I

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1137761738284065802006-01-20T04:24:00.000-08:002006-01-20T04:55:38.556-08:00

The idea behind merit pay scales for teachers is that we want the very best teaching possible for our students. We've all known teachers (though, truthfully, I haven't known many) who were failing their children. However, when the pay increases are tied to students' performance on standardized tests, there is a huge problem. It encourages teachers to gravitate toward classrooms with fewer kids

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1137676665027311682006-01-19T05:04:00.000-08:002006-01-19T05:17:45.126-08:00

The mayor of New Orleans said that God sent the hurricane because he's mad about the war in Iraq and racism. Pat Robertson said that God struck Prime Minister Sharon to punish him for his policies with Israel. I'm continually hearing from people who know what God wants. How do people know? Wouldn't it be better to admit that we don't have a direct line to the mind of the Almighty (other

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1137512368568111552006-01-18T03:22:00.000-08:002006-01-18T03:29:29.996-08:00

I've been to holiday grief seminars that were helpful. Any time you get people together to admit grief and to process, it's helpful. But what happened Sunday evening wasn't just intellectually helpful. It was healing. When people come together to lament, to remember, to cry out, to pray, to claim hope, to hug, to weep, to laugh, to light candles, to sing, and to listen to Christian music--it

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1137415550160750432006-01-16T04:17:00.000-08:002006-01-16T04:57:01.990-08:00

I got caught Saturday. During the previews before "Glory Road," Chris glanced over at me and saw big, fat tears falling off my face. He asked, "Hey, Dad, why are you crying?" To Chris, no preview could justify those tears -- unless they were tears of joy for the release of the next Bourne movie or perhaps a discovery that King Kong II was being filmed. I gave him a short, brush-off answer.

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1137328904981548172006-01-15T04:28:00.000-08:002006-01-15T05:13:21.363-08:00

The weekend before the Martin Luther King holiday was a fitting time to watch "Glory Road." It is, of course, a great sports movie. Josh, Chris, and I did all we could not to stand and yell for the guys from El Paso--even though we knew the outcome. Chris said he wanted to scream "he stepped out!" when Jo Jo White's heel went out of bounds. There is also the humor that we locals can

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1137210533348958272006-01-14T05:02:00.000-08:002006-01-14T05:15:42.090-08:00

Oklahoma Christian University has been in the headlines, having just announced a policy where campus workers going through a divorce could be fired. After sharp criticism, the policy has already been rescinded. - - - - Pat Robertson is becoming bizarre. Even for Pat Robertson. - - - - I just read a chapter on the spiritual discipline of singing in a soon-to-be-released book by Darryl

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1137093454034851802006-01-13T04:58:00.000-08:002006-01-13T05:29:16.060-08:00

Let me encourage you to check in at harvestboston.net. Steve has been writing about his experience at CSC in Abilene, working with one of my elders, Jim Clark, whom Steve calls "perhaps the most prayerful person I know." This is rich stuff Steve's writing. It's Kingdom Lit 101. - - - - I sense that dark clouds are forming over my head as the one-year anniversary of the wreck approaches.

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1137008956018169902006-01-12T04:40:00.000-08:002006-01-12T06:52:31.796-08:00

My name is Mike, and I'm a Parrothead. All right, maybe not a fullblown Parrothead. But I do like Buffett's music. (I have one of my elders to blame.) You've heard "Margaritaville" and "Cheeseburger in Paradise," of course--along with "Come Monday." Yeah, yeah. Probably even "Fins" and "Volcano." But how about "Tin Cup Chalice," "One Particular Harbor," "Migration," "School Boy Heart" and

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1136857850951556992006-01-11T03:58:00.000-08:002006-01-11T04:09:07.253-08:00

To start this new year, the one in which I will turn 50, I read Dr. Andrew Weil's Healthy Aging. My favorite chapter is called "The Value of Aging." Weil points out that there are, for sure, problems with aging. But if we can resist the youth obsession of our culture, we can see what scripture recognized: that there are some advantages to aging. So here are some of the things that age well

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1136821203704402632006-01-10T03:48:00.000-08:002006-01-10T04:11:24.146-08:00

Love this church website that my buddy Mark Moore put up. Check it out. You might also want to look at kibogroup.org, which Mark, a former missionary in Uganda, also designed. (By the way, the name "kibo group" goes back to the time he and I and a dozen other friends climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro together. Kibo is the highest point.) - - - - I read these TOP TEN WAYS TO IMPROVE CHURCH ATTENDANCE

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1136817876708580262006-01-09T06:35:00.000-08:002006-01-09T06:44:36.760-08:00

I've had several older men in my life through the years who have helped shape me into the way of Jesus. (To be honest, I still do: Clois, Wally, Grady, Landon, etc.) But there is one I'll never forget. There's just something about those college years that are so important. Jerry Jones was the chairman of the Bible Department when I was a student at Harding. He was also my homiletics

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1136728333206193542006-01-08T05:47:00.000-08:002006-01-08T05:52:13.250-08:00

A reminder to Highland members: today we're at one service at 9:00 with the ministry fair to follow. There will be no adult classes; there is one combined class for high school and middle school students to welcome our new co-youth minister; and there will be shortened children's classes (so the children and teachers can attend the ministry fair). This is a bit confusing, perhaps, since the

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1136476110067223732006-01-07T05:45:00.000-08:002006-01-07T06:09:59.866-08:00

"How can followers of Christ be a counterculture for the common good?" That's the question that Books and Culture, Christianity Today, and Leadership Journal are joining together to ask this year. They're inviting six creative Christian thinkers to answer the question. The first is Lauren Winner, the 29-year-old author of Girl Meets God and Real Sex. Her answer to this significant question is

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1136304974122912282006-01-06T04:04:00.000-08:002006-01-06T04:22:27.966-08:00

I'm so thankful for the amazing things I know are going on at several Christian colleges. Pepperdine continues to reclaim its Christian heritage. Rochester College is on its way to becoming a top-flight school in the north. Harding continues to train and equip students for vocational missions. And with the hiring of Randy Lowry, this may well be the Year of Lipscomb. But today I want to say

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1136441130545252482006-01-04T22:01:00.000-08:002006-01-04T22:05:30.580-08:00

I was a campus baby while my parents attended the University of Texas. Whoever didn't have a class was my babysitter. And apparently one of my first phrases to speak was HOOK EM HORNS. I was introduced to the biblical concept of "alien and stranger" by being a UT fan while growing up just an hour from the University of Arkansas campus. Every fourth year when the UT/UA game was played in

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1136303918843558772006-01-04T04:38:00.000-08:002006-01-04T04:56:28.153-08:00

Did someone move Abilene to the Southern Hemisphere while we were gone to Missouri? Yesterday, January 3, it was 87 degrees! I don't like hot in the summer--much less in the winter. I live for winter--when it's supposed to be cold, snowy, and depressive. When I came home from work, three middle school boys were playing hoops in our driveway. Guess what? I got invited to join! They were

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1136301754924089382006-01-03T07:14:00.000-08:002006-01-03T07:22:34.976-08:00

I hope many of you have been able to follow the photojournalism career of former Highland member Chris Anderson (Carolyn and Lynn's youngest child). He has become a "voice" for the poor and oppressed of the world through his camera lens. Recently Chris has been in Bolivia. Check out some of his work here. (Go down to "Bolivian Elections" by Christopher Anderson. It is a series of short

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1136128874147011942006-01-01T07:14:00.000-08:002006-01-01T07:21:19.820-08:00

My preaching year hasn't begun very well. This morning we're having everyone come to the front for communion. We do this about four times a year, and most people love the experience. So often when we take communion, we never interact with one another. It's as if we were in cubicles. It's more of an altar rather than a table (to borrow from the wonderful insights of John Mark Hicks in Come to

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1135968660143826482005-12-30T10:42:00.000-08:002005-12-30T10:51:00.186-08:00

By a 2-1 vote, we give "King Kong" a thumbs up. Diane, who isn't that crazy about seeing people pursued and eaten by bugs, dinosaurs, and gorillas, couldn't really get into it. I think she described it as three of the longer hours of her life. However, Chris and I loved it. Chris loved it because he's a seventh grade boy; I loved it because I was sitting next to him and he loved it. (Plus,

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1135811777832966422005-12-29T08:50:00.000-08:002005-12-29T09:04:22.886-08:00

Ten years ago (January 1996) a woman at Peter Scazzero's church told him she was leaving. The conversation, as he remembers it, went like this: "'Pete . . . I'm leaving the church,' she summarized very calmly. 'I no longer respect your leadership.' "I was visibly shaken and didn't know what to say or do. I felt shamed, alone, and angry. "But she calmly continued, 'It's not that simple. You

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1135784103952342872005-12-28T07:29:00.000-08:002005-12-28T07:35:03.996-08:00

We'll be home by noon. We've had a wonderful ride in the car -- all five of us -- despite all the smoke from out-of-control fires in Oklahoma and Texas, the traditional traffic delays in Oklahoma City, and the quest for a decent radio station. Once you get within range of DFW, you can get 98.7, which plays the best of the oldies (compared to other oldies stations we can find which tend to play

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1135695364335210452005-12-27T06:51:00.000-08:002005-12-27T06:56:04.373-08:00

It's not so much that I actually stayed up and WATCHED all those ABC Monday Night Football games. But I did watch the first hour or so of a bunch of them. Then the voices of Howard Cosell, Don Meredith, Al Michaels, and Frank Gifford lulled me to sleep. Nothing like sleeping on the floor with a good game in the background. It was a good three-and-a-half-decade run. Now it's on ESPN, probably

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1135598322182275142005-12-26T03:44:00.000-08:002005-12-26T04:45:24.316-08:00

Missouri is still my home in some ways. Here is where I've lived: July 1956 - August 1957 - Neosho, MO August 1957 - June 1959 - Austin, TX June 1959 - August 1974 - Neosho, MO August 1974 - May 1978 - Searcy, AR (Harding) May 1978 - July 1979 - Neosho, MO (one year internship) July 1979 - May 1982 - Memphis, TN (HGSR) May 1982 - October 1984 - Wilmington, NC (Pine Valley Church) October

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1135087239674896382005-12-20T05:58:00.000-08:002005-12-20T08:30:23.973-08:00

The Quarter of Remembrance by Mike Cope I actually got to meet Dr. Channing Barrett, though I don't remember the meeting because I was too young. But that doesn't change my picture of him as a young man walking a marathon of miles every weekend. In my mind, I see him returning home to Blissfield, Michigan around the turn of the century. Channing Barrett was one of eight boys and was the

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1134960641814922682005-12-19T03:52:00.000-08:002005-12-19T04:04:32.370-08:00

As a full-time minister since 1982, I've had a front row seat to see lots of nurturing families and lots of enmeshed families. What's strange is that they often look alike -- at least on the surface. But they are very different. A nurturing family is one that empowers family members to have a strong sense of self. Children are loved and drawn into the nurturing center of the family--but

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1134769952360214412005-12-17T08:30:00.000-08:002005-12-17T08:42:22.643-08:00

Don't miss the speech Larry James includes in his 12/16/05 blog. - - - - Last night Diane and I went to "Walk the Line." Wow. Hand over the Academy Awards now for lead actor and actress. It took Diane back to her childhood. Her dad, Joe McKee, was a hardcore Johnny Cash fan. She remembers every one of those songs filling their living room. "Walk the Line," "Ring of Fire," "I've been

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1134736086045005992005-12-16T04:27:00.000-08:002005-12-16T04:28:06.086-08:00

Another amazing chapter in Hero Mama is near the end of the book when Karen Spears Zacharias tells about her journey to Vietnam to visit the place where her father died when she was just nine. "I've walked the streets where my father roamed as a boy. I've sat in the pews of the church where he was baptized. Over the years, I've made several trips to my father's grave at Andrew Johnson National

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1134576875539705742005-12-15T07:49:00.000-08:002005-12-16T04:35:11.726-08:00

I'm not sure I even planned to read Hero Mama by Karen Spears Zacharias. I read a raving review of it somewhere and decided to order it for a good friend whose father died in Vietnam when he was just a boy. My buddy was leaving for a trip to South America, and I thought I'd give it to him to read on the way. But the book arrived a day after he left . . . so I read it first. This is a

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1134562605719163742005-12-14T04:03:00.000-08:002005-12-14T04:16:45.756-08:00

Grades are in! What a great feeling for teachers. There are lots of wonderful moments in a semester for an adjunct professor, but that's one of the best ones. - - - - From N. T. Wright's book on Paul: "For some, alas, the very phrase 'second coming,' and even perhaps the word eschatology' itself, conjures up visions of the 'rapture' as understood within some branches of (mostly North

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1134477057707384572005-12-13T04:30:00.000-08:002005-12-13T04:30:57.743-08:00

Rarely do I sign up for Amazon's SEND-ME-THIS-BOOK-AS-SOON-AS-IT-COMES-OUT list. But with N. T. Wright's new book on Paul -- well, that's different. For those who don't know, Wright is a leading New Testament scholar. To get a feel for the breadth of his writing, check here. The book continues his ground-breaking work on Paul, offering fresh insight into the way in which his letters seek to

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1134389383158128502005-12-12T04:08:00.000-08:002005-12-12T05:38:56.190-08:00

George Barna has documented this fact: the divorce rate in this country is the same for people who claim to be Christians as it is for people who don't claim to be Christians. (I just read a summary of a Barna report that now says it's higher for Christians, but I can't locate that report.) Without stomping on those who've already suffered through divorces, isn't there a way we can address

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1134360730590806282005-12-11T20:09:00.000-08:002005-12-11T20:12:10.623-08:00

This afternoon was a Christmas program I'll never forget. A child at our church who has Down's and is the embodiment of Christian love was in the musical. The whole thing. She sang, she signed, she invited us to the newborn King. As the father of a daughter who was mentally handicapped, I can't tell you what that means to me!

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1134218465205248632005-12-10T04:30:00.000-08:002005-12-10T04:41:07.356-08:00

We went to see "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" yesterday on the opening day. Good job, Grant, on grabbing those Fandango tickets ahead of time! It's amazing. Unbelievable. Not quite "Lord of the Rings," perhaps, but not far behind. It doesn't matter how many times you've read about Narnia; when Lucy backs into the land through the wardrobe, just see if you don't feel a surge of

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1134130459248139772005-12-09T04:11:00.000-08:002005-12-09T04:14:19.280-08:00

Megan's grave. There is this wonderful country cemetery just outside Neosho, MO, where generations of my family are buried. But when my daughter died in November of 1994, we couldn't bury her there. It was just too far away. I know that may be hard for some to understand, because we couldn't visit her,anyway--at least not like when you visit someone in the hospital. But we still did need to

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1134046788151198762005-12-08T04:52:00.000-08:002005-12-08T08:50:00.303-08:00

All signals in my life have been pointing to one thing: that I need to go deeper. Deeper in prayer, deeper in scripture, deeper in heart, deeper in insights about my emotions (and why I do certain things), etc. In response to this, I just spent the last couple days at the Parish Hermitage. Eddie Parish is a dear friend and has been a trusted spiritual guide through the years. A Ph. D. in

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1133894336923064972005-12-06T10:38:00.000-08:002005-12-06T10:38:56.956-08:00

I'd be embarrassed to tell you what we paid for tickets to see the Rockette's Christmas program at Radio City. But it really was wonderful. However, it isn't the best Christmas program I've seen this year. That would have to be the one performed this past Sunday by the children from our neighborhood. With a stage full of angels and shepherds, the children sang, prayed, and read scripture,

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1133721547950652972005-12-04T10:39:00.000-08:002005-12-04T10:39:07.996-08:00

I am pumped about the plans a young Highland couple, Chrissy and Steve Holt, have in the near future. I'm going to include below some words they've written about "Harvest Boston," but you can read much more at www.harvestboston.blogspot.com Feel free to ask any follow-up questions. I'll ask Steve to check in with the comments and respond. When I hear them talk, I think I envision the future

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1133525929058460242005-12-02T03:58:00.000-08:002005-12-02T04:48:53.766-08:00

I read about half of N. T. Wright's new book, Paul in Fresh Perspective, yesterday. Wow. The man is a force of nature when it comes to New Testament scholarship. More about it later. - - - - All right. Why I quit offering invitations years ago. Has it ever hit you that the early church very likely didn't end their house church gatherings with an altar call? As far as we know, no one came

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com51tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1133439489700503772005-12-01T04:06:00.000-08:002005-12-01T04:18:09.740-08:00

Congratulations to my buddy Rick Atchley for receiving the "Distinguished Alumnus" award last night from Abilene Christian University. There was a special presentation during the evening service at Richland Hills. Milt, Max, and I got to participate by sending video clips. Rick Atchley is one of the most consistent people I've ever met in my life--as a family guy, as a disciple, as a friend,

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1133352862824637382005-11-30T04:14:00.000-08:002005-11-30T08:39:47.026-08:00

We had a perfect view of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade from 48th and Broadway. There were 14 giant balloons, 37 smaller balloons, 27 floats and 10 high school marching bands--plus the Beach Boys, Carrie Underwood, and Johnny Bench. To say nothing of 2.5 million others watching along the route. (When I ran the NYC marathon, there were an estimated 2 million lining the route. That made the

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1133267307897311572005-11-29T03:46:00.000-08:002005-11-29T06:58:09.533-08:00

In Plan B, Anne Lamott has a moving chapter about the death of her beloved dog, Sadie. "Having a good dog is the closest some of us will ever come to knowing the direct love of a mother, or God, so it's no wonder it knocked the stuffing out of Sam and me when Sadie died. I promised Sam we'd get another puppy someday, but privately I resolved to never get another dog. I didn't want to hurt that

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1133133039313899752005-11-28T04:04:00.000-08:002005-11-28T06:11:01.130-08:00

A day of questions: You know I love CCR, 3 Dog Night, and the Eagles, but is U2 the all-time best rock band? Is Coldplay in that league? What's the best Christmas song of all-time? Why does a good white preacher make you want to smile and nod your head and a good black preacher make you want to stand up, dance, and shout "preach it!"? Why is college basketball ten times more entertaining

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com76tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1133095779353483622005-11-27T04:43:00.000-08:002005-11-27T05:18:39.270-08:00

Today my nephew, Jantsen Barrett Cope, would have been 22. He was a happy, faith-filled teenager who loved fishing, telling jokes, watching goofy movies, sports, and being with his family. His life ended suddenly of a heart malfunction in 1999 when he was 15. Our thoughts are, of course, with Randy and Pam today. How appropriate that this year, JB's birthday falls on the first Sunday of

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1133006655855259682005-11-26T03:59:00.000-08:002005-11-26T04:04:15.890-08:00

The three of us have had a wonderful couple days in NYC. On Thanksgiving Day, we got up early to claim a front spot at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I've watched it since I was a kid, and it was a blast being there. In the afternoon we went to the Rockette's Christmas program, which ends with a moving account of the birth of Jesus. In between we managed to squeeze in a traditional

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1132504172439669612005-11-23T02:55:00.000-08:002005-11-27T05:19:17.796-08:00

The Highland Church is in a horrible place for traditional Abilene "church growth." We're not near ACU, and we aren't in the growing area of Abilene. There are so many new stores and restaurants: Books-a-Million (hurrah! a legitimate bookstore in Abilene!), Red Robin, Jason's Deli, and a hundred other places on the South/Southwest side of town. But around Highland, there is nothing new. We

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1132503609363927272005-11-22T03:50:00.000-08:002005-11-22T04:11:46.703-08:00

A few more thoughts after those amazing responses to last Thursday's blog about being single. First, this reminds me that we must continue telling people that in baptism the church--others who have signed up for following Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Life--is our first family. We have to be careful about all our language about "family values," "family retreats," "family devotionals."

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1132504968158622762005-11-21T03:37:00.000-08:002005-11-21T03:50:07.463-08:00

Every school day now, Chris is at 7th grade basketball practice early in the morning at Lincoln Middle School. Eleven years ago today, that's exactly where Matt was when I went to pick him up. I found one of the coaches and said, "Matt's sister is going to die in the next few hours, so I need to take him up to the hospital." He and I drove to Hendrick together as I explained that this was

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1132525791435469812005-11-20T14:27:00.000-08:002005-11-20T14:29:51.476-08:00

October does come to Abilene. It just waits until about late November. It's been an amazing weekend to be outside. Friday, the Highland ministers traveled to a ranch about an hour away where we spent some time apart (hiking, reading, praying, meditating in REAL HILLS) and some time together. Saturday, Charles and I went for an hour bike ride together. And this afternoon, Chris and I rode

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1132415922790464382005-11-19T07:54:00.000-08:002005-11-19T09:06:20.316-08:00

I don't have much personal investment in the Iron Bowl since I'm not a fan of either Alabama or Auburn. But the best seat in college football may be in the home of Buddy and Stephanie Bell in Montgomery during the Iron Bowl (which, for those who aren't ESPN addicts, is this afternoon). - - - - We have, of course, already seen "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." Very good. Four down . . .

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1132065457984023402005-11-17T04:24:00.000-08:002005-11-17T04:56:28.620-08:00

It's stupid. But funny. Check it out. - - - - What's it like to be a single adult in church? So much of what we do is family-centered: family retreats, family encampments, family devotionals, etc. Are we doing a good job of communicating that after baptism the first family is the body of Christ? Is it the best idea to have singles classes or would it be better to integrate people so that

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com49tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1132087573042183032005-11-16T03:54:00.000-08:002005-11-16T04:58:07.636-08:00

Today, I'm remembering with thanks all the wonderful women I've worked for. Or with. Decades ago they would have been called secretaries; now we prefer administrative assistants. My first coworker was Dorothy. When I first moved to the College Church, I was 27 and was WAY over my head. She was much older than my mother and gave me much-needed guidance several times. It was before the days

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1132057598691775322005-11-15T04:01:00.000-08:002005-11-15T04:26:38.976-08:00

There was this bit of disconnect in my teen years. It seemed like every week there was something said at church warning us of the evils of "mixed bathing." (You can immediately spot the problem of mixed bathing; apparently, the greater concern was mixed swimming.) It was a rule strictly enforced at the Bible camp I went to and the university I attended. No mixed bathing. However, almost

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1131971770810235732005-11-14T04:04:00.000-08:002005-11-14T04:36:11.003-08:00

Real Sex: the Naked Truth About Chastity, Lauren Winner's newest book, is wonderful. It's edgy and insightful, fresh and biblical. A convert to Christianity, Winner is coming to terms with the Christian story of sexuality, explaining her journey toward chastity. A few selections today. Winner scours through studies and anecdotes trying to discover why some teens find the courage to hold off

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1131798892254372272005-11-12T04:08:00.000-08:002005-11-12T07:59:48.330-08:00

(NOTE: Some days if you type www.mikecope.blogspot.com the full page doesn't come up. That seems to be happening today. Try typing mikecope.blogspot.com without the www at the beginning. I have no idea why, but some days it matters.) A great comment from a night person yesterday who said that the annoying thing about morning people is that they (we) are always in charge of making the

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1131712621950211242005-11-11T04:02:00.000-08:002005-11-11T04:37:02.186-08:00

This weekend Highland is hosting the West Texas Girls' Conference with about 700 teenage girls attending. Blessings on our amazing youth minister, Sarah Campbell, as she leads the conference and on our dear friend Kayci Ross as she speaks. - - - - No school today in AISD, in honor of Veteran's Day, so no one else will be up in this house for quite a while, I'd guess. As an early morning

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1131590699489302682005-11-10T03:25:00.000-08:002005-11-10T04:00:31.626-08:00

We had some amazing stories last night. At the end I had a roving microphone for people to share stories about Narnia. One university student said she read the Chronicles for the first time last year after her dad died, and they ministered to her in every book. Another student said that his two parents were artists, and so, in addition to reading him the books, they painted Narnia--Aslan,

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1131495281758386592005-11-08T16:03:00.000-08:002005-11-08T16:17:24.403-08:00

There's a wonderful piece by Tom Smith in Relevantmagazine.com. It begins . . . I love experiments. A few years ago I wore my Jabez T-shirt in Colorado Springs. It said, “I prayed the prayer of Jabez for thirty days and the only thing I got was this lousy shirt.” The reactions I got were truly amazing. Some people were furious while others thanked me. A few weeks ago I embarked on another

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646439.post-1131053861790702412005-11-08T04:04:00.000-08:002005-11-08T04:33:13.633-08:00

Remember When Yesterday was my beloved's birthday. I won't say how old she was, but my birthday card was a little booklet called "1956: Remember When . . ." It listed others who were born that year: Joe Montana (greatest QB ever), Carrie Fisher (AKA Princess Leia), Bo Derek (numero diez), Kenny G, and Sinbad. The hit tunes were dominated by Elvis ("Don't Be Cruel," "Heartbreak Hotel," "

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01973958229716565176noreply@blogger.com39