The Blazing Center

The Power To Hand Out A Sandwich

9 September 2009

30920 CommentsThe+Power+To+Hand+Out+A+Sandwich2009-09-09+10%3A00%3A03Mark+Altrogge

Where do you serve in your church? In children’s ministry? On the sound crew? Are you a greeter or an usher? Wherever you serve, you need the power of the Holy Spirit. We can tend to think it’s only leaders who need the Spirit’s anointing. The pastor needs the Spirit’s power when he preaches, because the [...]

The Woman Who Served TOO Much

14 July 2009

27725 CommentsThe+Woman+Who+Served+TOO+Much2009-07-14+10%3A00%3A53Stephen+Altrogge

Is it possible to serve too much? Our initial “Christian-who-always-went-to-Bible-school” answer is probably “no”. But Scripture seems to say otherwise. In Luke 11:38-42, Jesus is doing dinner with Martha and Mary. Mary is sitting at Jesus’ feet, delighting in his teaching and presence. Martha on the other hand is having a freak out party. She’s serving like [...]

Possessed by Gold

5 February 2009

18273 CommentsPossessed+by+Gold2009-02-05+10%3A00%3A18Stephen+Altrogge

I recently read the following in “National Geographic”: Like many of his Inca ancestors, Juan Apaza is posessed by gold. Descending into an icy tunnel 17,000 feet up in the Peruvian Andes, the 44-year-old miner stuffs a wad of coca leaves into his mouth to brace himself for the inevitable hunger and fatigue. For 30 days [...]

A Heroic Cup Of Tea

26 January 2009

17646 CommentsA+Heroic+Cup+Of+Tea2009-01-26+10%3A00%3A40Mark+Altrogge

On January 15, Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger guided US Airlines Flight 1549 to an emergency landing in the Hudson river in New York City. All 155 people on board the plane survived and Sullenberger is being hailed as a hero. Sullenberger’s wife, Lorraine, at a homecoming celebration for the hero in their home town in California, said [...]

A Hero Turns 90

12 November 2008

130214 CommentsA+Hero+Turns+902008-11-12+10%3A00%3A03Mark+Altrogge

Yesterday one of my heroes turned 90 years old. That man is my dad, Julian Altrogge. One of the reasons he’s my hero is for the way he cared for my mom. The last seven years of her life, she slowly but steadily declined with Alzheimer’s disease, until she died in 2001. Because of his [...]

Are You A Hero?

23 October 2008

11569 CommentsAre+You+A+Hero%3F2008-10-23+10%3A00%3A19Stephen+Altrogge

This Sunday I interacted with several heroes. Not the comic book kind that swing around on Spidey-ropes, let bullets ping off their chest, and speak in a low gravelly voice while flinging Bat-A-Rang’s at baddies. No, these were real heroes. My first heroic encounter occurred as I pulled into the church parking lot. Despite the lip-chapping [...]

I Want To Be Like Sylvia

30 September 2008

10556 CommentsI+Want+To+Be+Like+Sylvia2008-09-30+10%3A00%3A40Mark+Altrogge

Outside our kitchen window a lone spider hangs in the center of her web, waiting for stray flies and small moths to snag themselves in her snare. She’s the center of her world, sucking all things into her vortex. That’s a picture of people before Christ saves them. But the grace of God in Christ turns [...]

Sting vs. Small-Time Worship Leaders

31 July 2008

6514 CommentsSting+vs.+Small-Time+Worship+Leaders2008-07-31+10%3A00%3A23Stephen+Altrogge

Okay, it’s official, Sting has one of the best voices in rock ‘n roll. On Monday night I went to see The Police in concert, and I must admit, it was pretty incredible. First of all, Sting is like 142 years old and is still way cooler than I’ll ever be. He had an untrimmed [...]

Significant Others

13 May 2008

4648 CommentsSignificant+Others2008-05-13+10%3A00%3A52Stephen+Altrogge

Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:3-4) In my universe, all the planets orbit around big, fat Planet Stephen. The governing law of this universe goes something [...]

The Secret Order of the Hidden Servants

26 February 2008

2818 CommentsThe+Secret+Order+of+the+Hidden+Servants2008-02-26+13%3A00%3A00Stephen+Altrogge

I’ve come to an interesting, and rather disturbing conclusion regarding myself: I’m not a real big fan of serving in private. I don’t want to do acts of service that nobody is going to see. I want to be up front, in the public eye, serving heroically for all to see. I [...]