Pastor McQuown, Norman V, Peale, and Anne Graham Lotz .... and Me

  Pastor Dennis, when teaching or preaching, often states, "Now, this is the McQuown version."  It seems to me that in his mind's eye he goes back and joins the scripture incident, observing each facet, and deepening his understanding. I like this!

   Years ago, Dr. Norman Vincent Peale taught us to do this in our study..... He called it "Visioning."  Some criticized it, but many of us found it helped see truths we may have missed otherwise.

   More recently, Billy Graham's daughter, Anne Graham Lotz,  gave an excellent example of this when writing on Carrying the Cross (Luke 14:27). She started it "Imagine."

    "Imagine what it would have been like to be Simon, and to have carred the cross of Christ while following Him up Calvary.
    What would it have been like to have shared in the humiliation of rejection as He was cast out of the city?
   What would it have been like to have felt the sticky warmth of His blood from the cross on your skin?
   What would it have been like to have felt the encroaching horror as the place of execution neared?
   What would it have been like to have seen the executioners who stood waiting impassively with hammers in hand?
   What would it have been like to have the burden of the cross lifted from your back as someone said, "This is His cross; you're free to go now." and He was nailed to it, not you?"

  Whether it is called "The McQuown version"; or Peale's "Visioning"; Or Lotz's "Imagining." ......
or my "Pondering"..... we are all calling the same thing by different names. TRY IT...YOU'LL LIKE IT!

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