Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

One hundred years of memories.

May 9, 2025

Only about thirteen for this writer. 1963 was the year Immanuel Baptist Church dedicated a new building on the corner of Nichols and Lafontaine in Springfield. The dedication of the facility is an early memory. Another event from the 1960’s was claiming salvation in Bible School in that same church.

The one-hundred-year anniversary celebration was one of joy and tears for those that attended. As stated in a previous article, your author was there for some of the festivities. The fellowship and food were enjoyed in the Christian life center. Hot dogs, chili, cotton candy, snow cones and popcorn were some of the consumables that were provided by the Church.

The first person I encountered was Brian the music minister at that time and an old friend from another church. He and his mother, brother and sisters were members at Hamlin, where I have spent most of my years since leaving Immanuel. Brian introduced the entertainment at other events that weekend and was a blessed addition to the church staff.

Mrs. Reese was there and greeted her. In her nineties she seemed to remember the three Kensinger boys that used to roam the buildings during Sunday School, R.A.’s and Vacation Bible School. She has since gone to Heaven. Debbie, Robert, Jack, Vickie and Gary were still there to reminisce about years gone by and times, both good and bad, that were shared.

Sam, Barbara, Dona, Theresa, and Jacob were some former members that were attending and enjoyed photos that were provided by the current membership as well as some they and others brought.

Life at Immanuel in the sixties and seventies was not always roses. There were a few thorns that surfaced in my mind. The vote of confidence against pastor Short that ended his ministry there, the group that left and started Orchard Crest Baptist Church, another split that formed First Baptist of Battlefield, and the firing of Brother Hamilton.

A positive was meeting Cindy in the old youth building. I was called to the ministry shortly before we met. My decision to attend Southwest Baptist College was made while a member there.

Pastor Clyde Leonard and his family were instrumental in mine and Cindy’s lives. Clyde came to see me with Gary and invited me to a college and career class he taught. I had rejected the church after Brother Hamilton left. I know the leadership thought they had good reasons each time a minister left.

For over forty years I have watched similar situations at Hamlin and voiced my two cents worth when I thought I should. We have never had a split. At least one previous pastor started a new work after leaving us. Many of the founding members of that church came from our congregation.

How long has your ecclesia been praising the Lord and ministering to your communities? Hopefully, you will someday have a hundred years to remember and celebrate as well. Send me an invitation and I’ll try to be there.

Are You Easily Offended?

May 7, 2025

Most would say that they are not. Then there is a situation in which one does not find as much humor as might have previously been expected and upon introspection it is possible that our attitudes have changed. Such was the case on a Friday night at the MSHSAA Speech Tournament at Parkview High School in Springfield. High School speech tournaments were where this preacher boy learned to stand in front of an audience without dying of a heart attack.

A humorous presentation was made that I have listened to many times in over forty years of performing and judging this event. It was written by Mark Twain. In past years some of the characters used the “N” word in describing others in the book. That word had been replaced with a less offensive descriptive.

I see this throughout our culture. We cannot use a word but those same groups that say they are offended allow themselves to speak these words to each other. They are even lyrics to songs that are honored at their awards shows. I don’t mind being re-educated. I do not understand why the minorities aren’t held to the same high standards.

A few years ago, it was revealed that a NAACP leader that everyone thought was black was identified as being Caucasian. Hair color had been changed. A perm was used to conceal straight hair. Speech patterns had been changed to be more accepted. They fought for years to prevent white entertainers from mimicking them in movies and television. I understand.

The LGBT community have added a new letter to their name. Correct me if I am incorrect. Isn’t that the letter that a name they do not like begins with. Once again, we cannot use it. LGBTQ members can. Can we protest the use of the erm WASP.

Let’s stop calling each other names. We are all human beings. I have advocated for years that we stop calling others by two very offensive designations that they like to use for themselves and their counterparts. Let’s drop the use of Republican and Democrat or liberal and conservative. These do not fit the organizations and their constituency. I am non-partisan. The separate but equal rule applies here as well. If they are forced to live together then we will learn to see our similarities and not out differences.

How will we know who we should vote for? By getting to know who they are and not accepting who they want us to think they are. I’m tired of being lied to. How about you?

I think I’m in love.

May 5, 2025

In college, this was a saying that many guys my age used. One of my friends or acquaintances would say this when we say a beautiful girl or woman walks by. A friend of mine at Southwest Baptist College in Bolivar, MO, changed that slightly. He was a ministerial student like me. He changed it to “I think I’m in lust.”

There is a difference between love and lust. Let me define the two words. Love is not an emotion. Lust is a desire for something sexual. I do not like to use dictionaries for words like love. Secular scholars are more interested in contemporary usages of the word and not what the Biblical examples indicate.

I agree with Paul’s definition of the love of God. You’ve read it in First Corinthians chapter 13. It includes patience, kindness, lack of envy, boasting, and pride. This is what we should strive for in our romantic love.

Do you know how to define what you mean when you say “I love you” to your spouse? The Association referred to it as “Cherish” in the song in 1966. “Cherish is the word I use to describe all the feelings that I have” is the opening line. This song also tells us that all the other guys say, “I love you.”

All they want is to touch your face, your hands, or hold you. Others say they will love you all the rest of their lives. When I was dating the girls were warned not to believe us when we said that we loved them. Most of these guys would use the line, “If you really love me, we should have sex.”

I never was one to do that. I had one girlfriend that I learned later and she stopped dating me because I never tried to have sex with her. Cindy will tell you that I haven’t had that problem for a long time.

On television and in movies, young people ask their parents or other adults how you know if you love someone. For me, it was because I wanted to be with her. Not every minute of every day like the songs say. When we are apart, I need to get back to her. I hope you have someone that gives you that kind of security.

This is not sexual. That is why I say that sex is not the same as love. I do not like to use the term making love. That makes love a noun, not a verb. Love is something you do. As Paul says, “It is patient, it is kind, it never fails.”

I explain to those who say that they fell in love and have fallen out of love by adding I did not fall. I jumped in. I can leave if I do not want to continue to love. I have a choice to love or not. It is the same for you. Jump or stay where you are.

Love is a choice as the book title says. It is up to you. Like Doc Brown said at the end of the third installment of the Back to the Future Trilogy, “Your future isn’t set. Make it what you want it to be.”

ARE YOUR EMPLOYEES HAPPY?

May 5, 2025

The first part of this article is aimed at management, including owners, managers, and supervisors. The last section is for employees, so before you yell too loud and long at what they are being told, wait for yourself.

I have always been an employee of someone else. While I have been in middle management and supervisory positions, I have never been the owner or top boss. I have had good and bad bosses. I have also seen good and bad employees. I believe there are many reasons for dissatisfaction in companies.

Failure of management to consider employees’ circumstances. My first job was at a fast-food drive-in. I was a fry cook. The owners demonstrated how a boss can be a mentor, friend, and second parent. They allowed me to be a shift manager as a high school student. They worked with all their student employees’ school schedules. We were required to tell them the dates we needed off as soon as we could.

Inability to admit that you made a mistake. This is a problem for employers, management, and employees. If you are tasked with correcting mistakes that are made, please confirm if the error is yours. If it is not, can you find time to point out the problem to the one that caused it without shaming? This is a major complaint. The boss calls out other’s mistakes but never mentions their own.

When I talk about shame, I mean bringing these mistakes up in a meeting with others. If a manager does not who caused an error, he should do his diligent research. There is usually a way to find out who worked on the project. Ask each participant what their assigned tasks were. Do not ask, “Did you make this error.” The answer will usually be no.

I’ve been the one blamed for problems when I was not even involved directly. I investigated and determined where the mistake was made and spoke directly with whoever needed the refresher course. Seldom was it necessary to take it to a higher authority. At times the offender would not admit responsibility. Those were the times I simply instructed multiple people on how to complete the task correctly. This solved the problem.

No one is perfect. We must all accept responsibility for our blunders. I once had a boss tell me I spent to long on a drive calculation I was doing for a salesman. They said a mistake would not kill anyone. When I told him what had been said he emphasized to me that it was for a manlift. A mistake could endanger someone.

Barnabas

May 4, 2025

In a previous column I began a discussion of Joseph who was called Bar-Nabas which means the son of encouragement. I spoke of him as being my selection as the one who may have written the book we call Hebrews. It does not read like a letter and yet it sounds a great deal like the apostle Paul’s teachings. My question is why?

The simple answer seems to be that some of Paul’s theology came from those in the church who influenced him over the years. Barnabas was the one that first accepted this new convert to The Way and brought him to the apostles. (Acts 9:26-27) A risky move on his part.

Here we lose track of Barnabas and Saul is sent away because the Jewish leaders do not like the man that was so vehement about attacking these believers in the Messiah becoming one of them. The disciples heard that they were going to kill Saul and sent him home to Tarsus. (Acts 9:30)

The book of Acts, written by Dr. Luke, continues with the actions of Peter and others until they need someone to go to Antioch to find out what is happening there with the Gentiles or non-Jewish believers. (Acts 11:22-25) As you read here you see that Saul is brought to Antioch to help with this work.

You may ask why Barnabas went to Saul after all this time. When he first brought him to the other disciples in Jerusalem, I am sure that he first vetted his conversion experience. We call this giving your testimony. This included Jesus’ call for him to go to the Gentiles with the gospel. (Acts 9:15) There was no one else that Barnabas knew who was called to this ministry.

Now you see why Joseph is called the son of encouragement. (Acts 4:36-37) Joseph was a common name in Hebrew families. Jesus pronounced He-sus, which is common among Hispanics and other cultures. I am sure you can think of other Josephs from the Bible, both Old and New Testament.

Remember Jacob’s son that was sold s a slave by his brothers and sent to Egypt ahead of the family? A Joseph is mentioned in Nehemiah 12:14 as being one of the priests at that time. Another is mentioned in Ezra at that same time in chapter 10 verse 42. We all should know that Jesus’ earthly father was named Joseph.

In the New Testament Luke tells us that Jesus had two ancestors named Joseph in Luke 3:24 and 30, These were in Joseph of Nazareth’s lineage. We also have a Joseph in Matthew 27:56 that was the son of Mary, Jesus’ mother. (Also Mark 6:3, 15:40, 47) He is probably the next oldest brother and was named after his father.

Then we have Joseph from Arimathea that asked for Jesus’ body and put it in his own new tomb. (Matthew 27:57-59, Mark 15:43, 45-46, Luke 23:50-56, John 19:38-42). After the resurrection the eleven decided to allow God to select a twelfth Apostle to replace Judas. Two men were nominated. Joseph called Barsabbas and Mathias to decide who would be chosen by lots.

I have another thought about Barnabas that I will share with you in another column. Stay tuned.

Faith

April 23, 2025

This sounds like a good topic to talk about after Resurrection Weekend. What do I mean by this term? The secular world knows it as Easter. Most Christians do not know the origin of this holiday. When the early church was accepted by the Roman government, they changed the established holidays to be accepted by the followers of Christ.

The spring festival that honored the renewal of life during this season was changed to fall on resurrection day. The name remained the same. It recognized the Roman God responsible for life. It was thought to be appropriate because Jesus’ death and resurrection gives us new life when we accept Him as our Lord and Savior.

The problem I have is that my God does not want me to worship anyone except Him. That is why I refer to the holiday as Resurrection Day. The U.S. government recognizes our separation of church and state and records it as Easter which is considered a secular holiday. It is my faith that requires that I acknowledge it as a Christian celebration.

The book of Hebrews tells us in chapter eleven; verse one what faith is. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” My faith allows me to flip on a light switch to turn on lights in my house. When my grandparents were children, they could not do this. Their homes did not have electricity in them.

Today your faith lets you turn on your lights, television, phone, computer, car, and many other things they did not know about. You believe these devices will work and that is a substance that you use daily. That faith is your proof that those things will start when you need them. We were all disappointed when they failed to work.

Jehovah God has never failed me. I hope you can say the same. Life is frustrating enough without those we depend on failing us. But that is life. Jesus is also life. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) You can accept this on faith as I have.

Let’s talk more about this book in the Bible called Hebrews. Bible scholars have asked who the author was for years. In college, it was dealt with in a separate class. When I took the class on Paul’s letters the instructor added Hebrews as another class, he taught that was also probably written by the apostle Paul. Some theologians do not agree with this.

I am not a scholar. I am merely a student of Jesus and God’s word to us. I ask Him a lot of questions. Eventually He gives me those answers. Recently I learned that some believe Barnabas, the son of encouragement that was one of Paul’s early Christian friends may have been the author of this letter.

It sounds a lot like what Paul said in his other books. He did not use the style we are used to reading because he did not say that it was from him. This writer does not tell us who this letter is for. It does not read like a letter as others in the New Testament do. It is more expository in nature and begins by pointing out that Jesus was how God chose to speak to us at this time.

These are some of the reasons I believe Joseph called the son of encouragement or Barnabas wrote it. We will continue with more about him and who he was in the church. I think that you will find it interesting and you may learn some things that God has not shared with you before. See you next time.

God’s short shelf

April 11, 2025

In some factories around Springfield and all over the world, you will find the terms short shelf, short material, short stock or some other name that indicates that while the length or size of the product is no longer kept in inventory, there are still uses for it and it is not to be scrapped. As Christians, we need to think about who is on God’s short shelf.

Unlike steel or aluminum, which may be used using small pieces for certain jobs, children are small but will not always be too small to use. Kids grow and will someday be adults. Don’t scrap your children before they have had the chance to show what they can be. Everyone needs a job to do, even if it is as simple as putting napkins or forks, and spoons on the table before a meal. Take the youngsters off the short shelf and give them an easy task. Don’t stop there. As they learn to conquer the trivial, they will mature into teens, which will help.

Often our youth are treated as scrap when they need to be moved from the short shelf to a useful position. Find something that interests them. Middle school students often are left playing video games because an adult did not take the time to educate them on what needs to be done around the house. Older grandchildren can help in the garden, climb ladders to paint or clean, or accomplish many of the tasks that their unsteady parents or grandparents now have difficulty with. The difficult task is motivation. Rewards, not bribes, are useful here. More time spent on the computer, playing video games, or visiting friends on the phone or in person should be earned. You’ve lost the battle by keeping them in the scrap bin when laziness is accepted and not destroyed early.

Those who qualify for senior discounts may consider themselves retired or just tired. The stamina and energy of youth may have waned, but their maturity and experience count for something. One of the best ways to keep the retired folks off the scrap heap is to find their talents. Whether it is auto repair, cooking, telling stories, or just getting on their knees and praying, they are still useful. Advice is often precious in times of struggle, and the best counsel is from those who have been there before you. Don’t miss out on this resource.

The physically or mentally handicapped are often overlooked because it may be difficult to find a place of service for them. Their difficulties seem to be insurmountable. Often, those who are slower mentally are like children. They have enthusiasm and energy that need to be used on simple tasks. Stapling, folding, or sorting papers to lighten some other person’s load may be an answer. Do not look at the weakness of others. Look for their abilities and strengths.

God loves everyone and has called each Christian to service. Find your place, and when you have the opportunity, help someone else to find their niche. We are a body that should work together with Christ as the head.

Computer illiteracy

April 6, 2025

The picture was ancient. Two nice-looking girls were sitting at manual typewriters in a school room. You knew it was old because it was black & white, and their clothes were vintage. My comment to the question on Facebook, “Do you remember this?” was, “Yes, I am the guy behind the two girls.” Slightly out of focus, a young man with horn-rimmed glasses and a white shirt was in the background. He was your typical nerd from the fifties and sixties. You couldn’t see his pocket protector, but I’m sure it was there.

My keyboarding career started that way. Typing class in high school. A few guys. Mostly girls were getting a head start on their stimulating careers in the secretarial field. Today, I am using a laptop to write. That class at Hillcrest is not typing but keyboarding, and it will soon die because no one gets to high school without being able to use a keyboard. Most get that education in kindergarten.

Computers first came to my attention in grade school. It was the Univac that I saw in magazines and books. Then there was the IBM monstrosity that NASA used to compute trajectories for the Mercury missions. I never knew what a computer really was until I saw “Secret Treasures”. Who knew that people used to be called computers? We just called them smart kids.

Our first computer keyboard was on a Texas Instruments device that was smaller than my first AM radio. Then came the Commodore, the Atari, and the 86-format machine. That was the first with minor connectivity and its own monitor. The rest plugged into the TV like your first video game. My first video game was brother Bud’s Pong.

My first purchasing position came with a brush with computing. The owner of the company had been looking into computerizing accounting, purchasing, and inventory control. For six months, I was tasked with designing and assigning unique part numbers for each of our products. I spent many extra hours and was not present when the machines were put into operation.

My second shot at a business in purchasing was again before that location had computers. The corporation had computers at both major warehouses. I was intrigued that their part number system was like the one I previously designed. When we had terminals installed at our branch, I enjoyed the time savings that the system brought.

I was also glad to see the inventory card system be moved out as well as the billing machine. Inventory, billing, and purchasing were done on the terminals. It was several years later before I had a personal computer on my desk at work.

Where does computer illiteracy come into? I am a baby boomer. I’ve never had problems with any electrical or electronic gadget. Currently, artificial intelligence seems to be the problem area. I’ve worked with AI since I used my first digital calculator.

Mechanical calculators used gears, cams, and other mechanical devices to make sums, multiply, divide, and subtract. If you have never seen one, go to an engineering museum. Science fiction writers have predicted that computers and robots would take over our world.

In the late 1990s, some thought that life as we knew it would end on January 1^st of 2000. Computer chips originally could not go beyond 1999. Programmers got with the plan, and we were ready on December 31. Now we need to figure out how to do things on paper again. We may never experience an EMP event that is currently being predicted, but just in case, keep pencil and paper handy.

Boomers go bust

April 3, 2025

As the years and the decades increase in your life span, you will notice that references that younger people do not recognize are readily caught by you and your contemporaries. My contemporaries are the kids of the baby boom. There is a lot of misinformation about this generation.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau this group was born between 1946 and 1964. We are 79 to 61 years old. If you refer to those younger or older than this as boomers, you are making an error.

Just to let you know, we are not older than dirt. Our parents were familiar with dirt when they were children. They told us thousands of stories about getting in trouble when they were kids for getting themselves or the house they lived in dirty. Some of us even remember our grandparents talking about dirt before our folks were born.

We do not remember World War I or II, the civil war, or the Roman Empire. We are not as old as God or Jesus. Both have existed for all eternity. We know that you are not as intelligent as we are. Don’t prove to us how stupid younger people are. We try to give you the benefit of the doubt.

Keep in mind that whatever you say to your children about us will come back to bite you in the backside. The generations after you will repeat these fallacies and may someday refer to you as boomers, old fogies, or the ancient of days. We remember using these same phrases on our parents and grandparents.

I look forward to hearing my grandchildren insult their parents the way they criticized us. I remember when I was fourteen and thought that I was smarter than my dad because the highest he went to school was the eighth grade. I hope all of them will get their B.A. as I and their mothers did.

Master’s or doctorates would be even better. I won’t tell them they are stupid if they do not know who or what the Mercury Seven were as long as they don’t roll their eyes when I question who all the current movie stars, TV and music performers are. Even I can identify Lady Gaga. Your children will agree with us that she was just some weirdo.

We hate it that there are a lot of commercials for medications for our ailments, adult diapers, and supplements that are recommended for older people. Keep in mind that in five years the next generation will need to sign up for Medicare and they already can join AARP.

The only way any of you can keep from getting as old as we are, is to die. When President John Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, we were told “only the good die young.” We know that was not true because we see bad people die in their twenties, thirties and forties. It is tragic, but it happens.

I wish you what parents have hoped for their children and grandchildren for centuries. To live long and prosper. We know where this quotation came from. Do you?

Animalities

March 24, 2025

You’ve never heard of this word? What about doganality or catanality? The dictionary definition is “quality or nature associated with animals.” My explanation is much simpler.

People have personalities. Animals have animalities. Dogs have doganalities and cats have catanalities. For people, the word explains how they act and their characteristics. We often refer to our pets as having personalities.

We want them to be like us. We try to attribute our feelings and emotions to them. Think about what it would be like if we did the same thing in reverse. Cats are said to be stuck on themselves and self-focused. Do you know any people who act like cats? I can think of a few.

Would you describe anyone as being as faithful as a dog? We talk about those who are as clever as foxes or wise as owls. Why not loyalty like a canine. Is every dog as faithful as any others? No, some are trained to be mean or angry on command. This type of education can backfire on the owner or trainer.

Have you ever heard of catting around? Both men and women can have this attribute. Are you doggedly determined to accomplish your goals? Men can be described as the same.

I have read a lot of books over the years about how to communicate in a marriage relationship. “Men are from Mars; Women are from Venus.” “The Five Love Languages.” “I’m O.K. You’re O.K.” These are just a few. These deal with reasons why men and women have difficulty in communicating.

I am in full agreement with these authors. However, I believe that we also need to point out that some people have their own personalities. These peculiarities can make it hard for their spouses to communicate with them.

Even our pets can be different. My cat loves to fight when she plays. Other cats we had were laid back. She is inquisitive and adventurous. We have a dog that can be described as a scaredy dog. He is a good watchdog that is very protective.

Just like cats, some people want to do what they want to do. Some might call this selfishness. Have you heard the saying, “It is like herding cats.” Cats and some people will do their own thing and not ask your permission.

One of the dogs’ dominant traits is their faithfulness. Many believe that this is a God-given trait. We have had several pets over the years, not just dogs and cats but also guinea pigs, gerbils, and many other species. There is something about these two types that is unique. We have had dogs and cats at the same time. They got along fine. Sometimes, it just took time for them to learn how to deal with each other.

The main secret is that they learned to respect and appreciate each other. That is what it takes to be a real family: growing to know who you are as a person and who the other person is. This is called intimacy—not sexual intimacy. It is spiritual.

Conversation and communication are essential to this kind of relationship. Remember that even the most different individuals can become friends and much more. It is work, but it is worth it.

Walk With a Servant