This afternoon and early this evening, my family and I had a chance to gather together with our church family for a hayride. It was a beautiful, sunny, windy afternoon and just the right kind of fall weather for such an activity.

While it was a purely social activity, I couldn’t help come away feeling blessed by being together with people who love God and, because they do, love to encourage others. It has been a hard week at my house and there was some consideration given to not going at all. After all, the reasoning went, we could use the rest and time together as a family. This kind of thinking is not unusual, I think, in circles among Christians. There is a real danger, I think, of almost worshiping the immediate family and turning it into some kind of idol.

Read More »