For decades I have written these articles. In one church our newsletter was printed by a newspaper in Dallas. My pastoral article was typed and could only be six inches long. Someone had correlated that length to attention span. My current articles are much longer than six inches. The other guide is word count. This is now word sixty-four. The average reader will read 300 words before giving up and reading someone else’s article. My articles are way too long. But I am a preacher; I can say “finally” in a sermon and drone on for ten more minutes.

This is a popcorn article. These are random thoughts that might make you think. They are in no particular biblical order. I’m experimenting with the six inch rule for print media and the three-hundred word count for digital media. Hopefully one of these will strike a nerve in your soul.

Jesus threw a Temple tantrum.

Jesus was always borrowing things. He borrowed a boat; borrowed a donkey; borrowed an upper room; borrowed a sepulcher.

Jesus invited himself to supper at Zacchaeus’ house. Jesus invited himself to join the conversation on the Emmaus road. Jesus inserted himself into the political conversation in Jerusalem when he mounted a donkey and rode into the city. Jesus inserted himself into many conversations and situations and His imposition gave each person something they were looking for and a relationship that changed their lives.

Jesus spent too much time with children.

Jesus was a serial procrastinator. On at least two occasions, Jesus was late, and it cost someone his or her life. However, Jesus was always on time. Go figure.

As an infant, Jesus spooked a king. As a child he shocked the theologians.

Jesus comforted the afflicted and afflicted the comfortable.

Jesus.