THE COLUMN THE DAILY NEWS REFUSED TO RUN!

I wrote the piece that follows a little over a month ago.  The Framingham Interfaith Clergy Association has an agreement with the MetroWest Daily News that we have a monthly column featured which is written by one of our Members.  The column can (within reason) pretty much be about ANYTHING.  I believe it’s supposed to be about 600-800 words although I’ve seen them run columns that are over 1000 words long.  Through the years, I’ve written at least four of these columns.  The following is what I submitted to be the February column.  Granted, it’s about 1200 words long and I’m sure that gave me trouble, but I think it’s a good column.  It’s not political, nor is it especially controversial, nor is it “sexy”.  I don’t think Editor Rick Holmes was much interested in an Opinion column which was neither political nor controversial nor “sexy” and that ran 1200 words.  BUT, if someone read this column and took it seriously it would change their life  and it would make a difference for time and for eternity.  I’m VERY disappointed the paper did not run it!  Incidentally, if you read this and you think it should have been run in the paper, you can let Rick Holmes know that at rholmes@cnc.com   AND  if you DON’T like it and you agree with Rick Holmes decision to NOT run it, you can let him know that, as well.  

Here is (word for word)  the exact column that the MetroWest Daily News did not run.  It’s original title was  “It’s Important We Get it Right!”:


    A few months ago, I agreed to write the Framingham Interfaith Clergy Association’s monthly newspaper column for February.  There are a number of subjects I could have written about.  I certainly could write a piece containing a February theme such as “Love and Marriage” (Valentine’s Day) or “Black History Month” or even something like “What made our great Presidents great?” (Presidents’ Day).   As I’m writing this on a very cold February afternoon, none of those themes is “grabbing” me!  I think it’s much more important that I share something I’m genuinely passionate about; that I’m genuinely “evangelical” about.  Unfortunately, many modern Americans believe  that an evangelical is someone who always agrees with President George W. Bush, someone who hates anyone who has ever had an abortion, and someone who hates homosexuals.  Most evangelicals that I know would not fit that description.  Theologically speaking, an evangelical Christian is one who believes it’s of the utmost importance to make a personal commitment to Jesus Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords and to read and study the Bible, applying its teachings to daily life.  You may or may not be a “born again Christian” but I am going to share some Biblically based principles in this piece that I believe will truly help you, if you apply them to your life.

    A few weeks ago, I was studying Genesis chapters 25 and 27 and I was so blessed and fascinated by the life principles found in these two chapters that I preached a sermon about them.  (If you own a Bible, I encourage you to check out Genesis 25 and 27 sometime soon.)  Here’s some of what I talked about in that sermon and what the principles are we can apply to our lives:

1.  “WHO’S THAT LADY?” from Genesis 25:1-6.  This passage talks about Abraham’s second wife named Keturah whom he married after his first wife died,  and a number of children he fathered by that second wife.  Sometime ago, a man challenged me that he flat out did not believe this portion of the Bible.  Abraham would have had to be something like 130 years old, marrying Keturah and then having a bunch of kids.  It does sound kind of crazy.  Careful research and study revealed that Keturah had been a concubine of Abraham’s long before he’d married her (see I Chronicles 1:32).  It’s likely he fathered the kids many, many years before he’d actually married Keturah.  My friend, the Rev. Dr. Dick Germaine teaches that no matter what the problem you have, God always has an answer.  Now, this was a confusing Bible passage, and God helped me find the answer to it.  
PRACTICAL APPLICATION: You may be going through a very difficult time in your life right now.  Nothing makes sense.  Hope seems lost. REMEMBER : Seek the Lord.  He DOES have an answer for you!

2.  “A TIME TO DIE” from Genesis 25:7-11.  This passage tells us of Abraham’s death.  He died at age 175.  Ecclesiastes 3:2 says there’s a time to be born and a time to die.  Some may live to be over 100.  Someone rarely may even make it to 175, but we all will die.  
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:  We all have to be prepared to die.  If you are not prepared to die, I challenge you to devour your Bible and ask God to leadand guide you.  He has the answers you need to help you to be ready when the time comes to die.

3.  “THE LEGACY LEFT”  from Genesis 25:12-18.  Former President Jimmy Carter wrote a significant book a number of years ago entitled, “The Blood of Abraham”.  This portion of Scripture tells of the descendants of Ishmael, the first son of Abraham.  Ishmael fathered the Arab peoples, and Isaac fathered the Jewish people.  I want to be careful how I word this because neither of those people groups is intrinsically good or bad, but sadly they have had a history of great conflict.  The conflict has been an unfortunate legacy left from Abraham.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:  The legacy is what’s left behind when we are dead.  How will we be remembered?  Will the world be a better place for us having been there or will it be a worse place?  Think about it.  What kind of a legacy will you leave?

4.  “A TOUGH PREGNANCY”  from Genesis 25:19-26.  The story of Jacob and Esau, the fraternal twins of Isaac and Rebekah, is a fascinating one!  Rebekah had a tough pregnancy with them!  The Lord revealed to her that these boys would father two nations- The Edomites and the Israelites.  When they grew up, they were exact opposites and they did not get along.  
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:  You don’t own your kids.  They area lent to you.  WHile environment certainly has a lot to do with shaping who your kids become, so does heredity.  Again, they are lent ot you.  When they grow up, you have to let them go.  If you don’t, you will have serious problems.

5.  “A FATEFUL DECISION” from Genesis 25:26-34.  These verses tell us that Esau sold his birthright (the double-portion inheritance right of the firstborn) for a bowl of stew!  While it was mean and selfish of Jacob to go along with this, it was stupid and carnal of Esau to sell his birthright.  
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:  Radio commentator Paul Harvey has said, “Think overtime trying to anticipate and avoid unerasable  mistakes.”
I think that says it all.  Many are haunted by tragic mistakes in their past.  While God can and will forgive us, there are some things such as the loss of a life or a limb which cannot be undone.  So, “Think overtime trying to anticipate and avoid unerasable mistakes.”

6.  “A SCAM WITH CONSEQUENCES”  from Genesis 27:1-29.  In a scene that seems like something right out of the 1950s sit-com “I Love Lucy” Rebekah and Jacob plot to deceive Isaac and steal Esau’s blessing.  In that culture, the blessing bestowed by an elderly father near death was a very significant matter indeed.  Jacob dresses up as Esau and fools his nearly blind father.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:  God is a big God.  God is perfectly capable of working out His own plans.  You don’t need ot take matters into your own hands and try to pull off crazy schemes to make things happen to benefit you.

7.  “A BAD DAY”  from Genesis 27:30-46. Here, Esau, victimized by the scam plots the death of Jacob.  For Esau, Jacob, and Rebekah, as with Daniel Powter’s 2006 pop hit, it was a bad day!
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:  We all have bad things happen to us.  No matter what is in your past, Philippians 3:13-14 encourages us to forget the past and press on to what’s ahead.

YOU AND I ONLY GO THROUGH THIS LIFE ONCE!  IT’S IMPORTANT WE GET IT RIGHT!    REMEMBER:
1.  WHATEVER PROBLEM YOU HAVE, GOD HAS AN ANSWER.
2.  WE ALL NEED TO BE PREPARED TO DIE.
3.  WHAT KIND OF A LEGACY WILL YOU LEAVE?
4.  YOU DON’T OWN YOUR KIDS, THEY ARE LENT TO YOU.
5.  “THINK OVERTIME TRYING TO ANTICIPATE AND AVOID UNERASABLE MISTAKES.”
6.  DON’T TRY TO MANIPULATE THINGS.  LET GOD BE GOD.
7.  PRESS ON; DON’T LOOK BACK!