Of Cops and CompassionBy Chaplain John Knox Last week my nine year old said something about a “cop” in a sarcastic tone of voice. I turned to him and told him very firmly that in the future he would respectfully refer to these men and women as “police officers.” He was a little surprised that his dad had gotten so “testy,” but of course he was too young to remember…The shrill sound of my pager interrupted an otherwise peaceful and…
The Ministry of Presence? I am getting too old the ride the midnight shift with the police officers that I provide chaplaincy services for in Granbury. I am not a college student who can get by on 2 or 3 hours of sleep anymore. But I had a short break this week, and decided to join my friends on the late shift. We had not been on the streets too long that night when a call of a fight in…
I was working on a sermon early this morning…the text: Matthew 9:35-40. 35Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore,…
(Note: This series of ministry events began unfolding on a Friday morning, around 11:30, and were completed around 11:30 the evening of the same day.)I got to hold a baby today…you know it is one of those things that preachers get to do… We go to the hospital to pray for the newborn. We go and pray with the parents at such a joyful time. And sometimes, we enjoy the fringe benefit of holding God’s new and precious gift.I got…
She is a very quiet girl…. She is one of at least a dozen middle school age girls in the Sunday school class I teach every week. They are all sweet… This particulary young lady is precious. She is always attentive and quick to smile, but very reserved. She came up to me after class, and asked me if I would be present for her baptism this afternoon at 3:30. I told her: Of course I will be there.As her…
Thursday, September 20, 2007Honoring the Memory of our FinestOn September 18th, I joined several police officers from Granbury at the funeral for a brother in Christ in Odessa, TX. Abel Marquez, a police officer for the Odessa Police Dept, was gunned down as he tried to render aid to two of his officers. His fellow officers were shot and killed by the same perpetrator during a domestic violence call at a home in West Odessa. Those two officers died at…