The size of the crowd rather than the depth of the heart determined success. If the crowd was large then surely God was blessing the ministry. Churches were built by demographic studies, professional strategists, marketing research, meeting “felt needs” and sermons consistent with these techniques. We were told that preaching was out, relevance was in. Doctrine didn’t matter nearly as much as innovation. If it wasn’t “cutting edge” and consumer friendly it was doomed. The mention of sin, salvation and sanctification were taboo and replaced by Starbucks, strategy and sensitivity.

Bob Burney

CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
Seafood, Dairy		Seafood	6	Servings

INGREDIENTS

1/4	c	Butter
6		Mushrooms, sliced
1	cn	Frozen condensed cream of sh
1	c	Sour cream
1	ts	Soy sauce
1/4	ts	Black pepper
1 1/2	lb	Shrimp*
		Toast slices or cooked rice

INSTRUCTIONS

*Cooked, Shelled, Deveined. Melt butter and saute mushrooms until wilted
but still white. Stir in soup, sour cream, soy sauce,and pepper. Cook,
stirring, until sauce bubbles and becomes smooth. Fold in shrimp. Heat
until bubbly. Serve spooned over toast slices or cooked rice. Can also be
spooned into small casseroles; top each casserole with 1/3 cup grated sharp
cheddar cheese. Place under broiler and broil until bubbly and golden
brown> Best to you, Lisa
From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini

A Message from our Provider:

“If the church wants a better pastor, it only needs to pray for the one it has.”

A promise must be kept, even when it turns out to cost us more than we expected. Inconvenience does not dissolve obligation. Inconvenience makes promise-keeping all the more beautiful, even God-like. God is a promise-maker and a promise-keeper. He made us covenantal beings living in a covenantal universe. Our lives unfold with his beauty as we receive, believe, make and keep promises. It costs us. But it cost God too. His cross inspires in us the depth of personal character that doesn’t go with the flow but keeps a promise even when unforeseeable eventualities make it hard. The unforeseeableness of the future is the very reason why we make promises. It’s why promises are valuable. In a world of contingencies, promise-keeping is the glue that holds us together... Let’s cheerfully and wholeheartedly keep our word, no matter what. It’s the Christlike thing to do.

Ray Ortlund