Articles by Mike Mazzalongo

The oldest joke about preachers is that when they begin to deal with our true bad habits and sins in their sermons, we say that “they’ve gone from preaching to meddling”. The implication is that preaching is O.K. so long as it teaches me facts about the persons and history connected to the Bible and religion in general. Many people are of the opinion that preaching is acceptable ...

Sometimes God surprises us. Not just with big things but with random blessings that sprinkle our day with evidence of His constant love and incredible kindness towards us. Here are a few random blessings that immediately come to mind.  1. The sweet smell of newly mowed grass floating into your car as you drive by on a cloudless summer day. 2. An unexpected apology from an estranged friend. 3....

One thing the quiet of night affords you is the time and silence to hear yourself think of all the things that might go wrong with your life. It must have been such a moment that drove my youngest daughter, Emilie, to seek some reassurance one stormy night long ago. Her falling asleep was interrupted by thoughts of the possibility of losing one’s salvation. "What if", she asked, "a person does som...

Somewhere around 1995, the Choctaw congregation tried something new. Blue prayer cards were printed up and members were encouraged to write down a prayer request which would be honored at the end of each service. The original intent was to make it easier for members to ―come forward or respond to the invitation. The cards would be filled out and the members would bring them forward to the front wh...

The recent storms that spawned at least a dozen tornadoes across the state also sparked a spike in some people‟s faith. I don‟t doubt the sincerity of folks who were “thankful to God” for being safe through the killer winds but I sometimes wonder where that faith lies when skies are blue and the weather is calm. I suppose that it‟s human nature to look towards heaven when times get rough and then ...

Leaving is never easy. Whether it’s saying goodbye to a broken relationship or a grown-up child, the act of separation is usually accompanied by a measure of pain. And so it is with my departure from Choctaw to go preach for another congregation in California.As I go, there are several ideas I want to share with you in the hope that they will ease the discomfort that many may feel at this juncture...

There is a familiar scenario being played out in Washington these days. As a “lame-duck" White House and Congress try to carry on their work knowing that their terms will soon be at an end. Everyone goes through the motions, winking at the fact that what they are doing will have little impact on events since their authority is on hold until a new administration is sworn in.I mention this because i...

Recently one of our members, Harold Jones, retired from his responsibilities as deacon. The announcement for this was contained in a very small box with very few words in our bulletin and could have easily gone unnoticed.This humble and simple notice of retirement was very much the hallmark of Harold’s service to the church. He is a man of few words, but many actions. This virtue was brought home ...

It would be nice to speak of the autumn chill in the air and wonderful fall season coming upon us but who would I be kidding? This is Oklahoma - it’s 104o in September! There is very little color change here, except for the scorch burns on your lawn.Even though it doesn’t look or feel like it, summer is almost over. One sure sign is that school is in session and the pace of activities at work has ...

What a wonderful day April 28th was for me. The culmination of 7 years of filling out forms, standing in line, and waiting for the mail finally came to fruition. At the Federal courthouse I took my oath and became an American citizen.If that wasn't enough of a blessing, that night a group of brethren organized a wonderful celebration to mark this special occasion. I want to thank all those who cam...

Recently we conducted the funeral of our dear sister Atha Harkless. Her death was quite unexpected and the funeral was set for early in the week, leaving only one full working day to care for the particulars.At the funeral itself hundreds gathered for the service which the family planned with care. As far as a funeral was concerned it was quite detailed, with a dinner for over sixty followed by a ...

Car dealerships are always boasting about their “great” or “fast” service because their customers prize competent workmanship done in a timely manner. In the church, we hope that our deacons can serve in the same ways, but the quality most prized among them is that of “quiet” service.This week Carthel Miller, one of our deacons, announced his retirement from this position due to health issues in h...

My little buddy, Jacob Foster, gives me some of his Bible class drawings from time to time. They are the images of a happy seven-year-old who has lived his entire life within the loving circle of the Choctaw congregation. Pictures of the cross or people traveling to services are eagerly pressed into my hands after worship. With his beaming smile and a sincere, "Here Michael, I made this for you." ...

They leave their classroom messy after puppet show rehearsal. They make noise and always sit at the back during worship. They take up a large part of the budget and wear out a full-time minister.Some wonder why so much effort and resources go into the youth program. Here are some statistics to look at while you ponder the value of our ministry to youth here at the Choctaw congregation.Each day in ...

Our community has found it’s own version of millennium madness in the debate over the Outer Loop construction project. This Loop will connect to the super highway that will form a corridor between Canada and Mexico. Many rear that it will not simply run through Oklahoma but may even rumble through our very living rooms.Those in danger of losing property are concerned, as they should be, and every ...

I've noticed that despite good attendance at services and great enthusiasm for our various projects, we have not given sufficiently in recent months to make budget. Oh, we're not missing it by much, but every week, little by little, we fall behind in our giving.In order to encourage us to bear down in this area, I'd like to remind you of a few things concerning our offerings here at Choctaw: WE NE...

I have watched the work that so many of the sisters here in Choctaw do and felt compelled to write a word of congratulations and thanks. We are so blessed in having godly women who are truly the light of Christ in this community.I mention no names because the space is too limited to write about the good works I see being done, or for fear of neglecting to mention the ones being done quietly and ou...

Next week will mark the fifth year I have served this congregation as Pulpit Minister. During this time I have learned many valuable things. Here are five which were especially important to me. I learned to Love Louis. In my first year I grew to appreciate the man who has done so much to build up this church, brother Louis Thompson. During that first year his patience and godliness were lessons th...

The scenes of tragedy are still fresh in our minds as we pass from the recent massacre of innocents in Jonesboro to the remembrance of the innocent One massacred for us at this time of year long ago. I will compare these in this week’s lesson but for now, I want to share a marvelous article by Chuck Monan who so eloquently brings these two together in a recent article for the Wilshire Bulletin.As ...

They say that you can make statistics mean whatever you want them to. This may be true but there are some numbers that do not lie, that tell not only a story but what the story is all about.Take the number 393 for example. This is the number of dollars “over” budget that this congregation has managed to give this year. Not a fancy or impressive number all by itself. But, when you stop to consider ...