Accept, love, use singles
We may be dinosaurs, but we're not extinct. We're the "swingin' singles" of the 1970s and '80s—now graying baby-boomers.
Some are retired, some work/volunteer. Some live comfortably; others struggle. Some have children; others are relatively alone. Some surf Facebook; others are terrified by electronics. Some care for aging parents; others are "aging" parents. What do we have in common? Single-ness—a gift for some, a burden for others. Church family and Bible study groups are ever more important.
Many churches don't have singles' ministries and see us only as a Sunday school class, if they see us at all. Our voice has diminished, and while we've been absorbed into the church family, few hear our separate voices or realize our separate "single" needs. In essence, the recognition and acceptance we sought in the '70s has occurred, and yet, we are lost again in the larger fabric of the church.
Ministries for younger singles are emerging, but don't forget the "swingin' singles" of the '70s. We are still here—some by circumstance, some by choice, some content with who they have become, some still searching for the "right one" to complete them and end the loneliness that remains buried deeply in their souls.
Single adults need to be accepted, loved and used. Some of us are blessed with a caring, accepting church where we are given opportunities for friendship, fellowship and service.
Pam Woodberry
Garland
Get back to the Bible
Sign up for our weekly edition and get all our headlines in your inbox on Thursdays
Because we as a nation increasingly deny the teaching of the Bible as the standard for basic moral decisions, we are creating moral confusion and chaos.
Allow me to illustrate the importance of having a standard. In the marketplace, we have standards for operation. Twelve inches equals a foot, and 16 ounces equals a pound. Now, suppose I want to have my own standard, and I set 10 inches to equal a foot and 20 ounces to equal a pound. Then someone else sets their own standard of 15 inches to a foot and 12 ounces to a pound. Then someone else has their own set of figures. Can you imagine the confusion and chaos that would reign in the marketplace?
Americans, we need to plead for the teaching of the Bible to be the standard for basic moral issues. In so doing, perhaps we will invite God's blessing, instead of his judgment, on our nation.
Surely, anyone reading the Bible can discern its teaching on such basic moral issues as truthfulness, abortion and sexual perversion.
All people need to do is read it, believe it and practice it.
Wayne L. Allen
Lewisville
What do you think? Send letters to Editor Marv Knox by mail: P.O. Box 660267, Dallas 75266-0267; or by e-mail: [email protected]. Due to space considerations, limit letters to 250 words; only one letter per quarter.
We seek to connect God’s story and God’s people around the world. To learn more about God’s story, click here.
Send comments and feedback to Eric Black, our editor. For comments to be published, please specify “letter to the editor.” Maximum length for publication is 300 words.