1. Free As Sons
   
2. Does "Go Ye" Mean "Go Me?"
   
3. Are We Really Born Again?
   
4. The Sacrifices of Cain and Abel
   
5. Silence Says Something
   
6. Body Language
   
7. Repentance Before Faith
   
8. I Wonder
   
9. Can I Know?
   
10. Ultimate Logical Conclusions
    
11. Errors in Peter's Sermon
    
12. Did Timothy Need Admonition?
    
13. Jesus' Youth Sermon For Adults
    
14. Why Didn't Paul Reform?
    
15. Christmas
    
16. Let The Unmarried Marry
    
17. A Dialect of Division
    
18. Our Traditions
    
19. Adding Our Safeguards
    
20. According To The Pattern
    
21. A Creed In The Deed
    
22. Samuel Did Not Know The Lord!
    
23. Response From Our Readers
    
24. Cries Of A Troubled Church
    
25. Sharing Without Fellowship
    
26. I Joined A Church
    
27. Open Membership
    
28. Another Last Will And Testament
    
29. Sad Thoughts About Church Growth
    
30. My Four Retirement Homes
    
31. Hook's Points: A Potpourri
    

MY FOUR RETIREMENT HOMES

During most of my years as a minister, the church supplied a residence for me and my family. That provision was much appreciated; however, it gave me no incentive to buy a house. In fact, the money which ordinarily would have been put into the purchase of a house was put in the parsonage of the church as a part of my salary.

As I looked into the future and my possible retirement, I had concern about where I would live. I had insufficient income with which to buy a house or to save for any substantial payment on one. I tried to trust in the Lord who promised to provide for such needs; yet, my faith was not without some wavering. God did work, and as I neared retirement, four houses were brought into consideration-and therein lies a tale of God's providence.

A congregation with which I formerly worked initiated a wonderful program of providing housing and sustenance for retired ministers. One of the elders told me that, when I would be ready to retire, they would have a place for me. That was an invaluable assurance. After I began to publish my controversial writings, however, the matter of the house was never mentioned again. So, there went my first house.

My challenges of our traditional teachings and practices in the church here brought enthusiastic support from some and vehement rejection from others. In the tenth year of my association with the congregation, tensions became acute. So, Lea and I began to look at mobile homes in prospect of making a down payment on one in order to begin retirement, even with our very bleak financial outlook. But that second house did not become a reality, either.

When some of our friends heard of our intentions, they protested, "You are not going to live in a mobile home; we will not let you do it!" They proposed that several of them would jointly buy a house and let us live in it in our retirement. Even though we did not want to become a burden on our friends, that loving concern gave our depressed spirits a tremendous lift.

A few days later, in order to relieve some of the unbearable conflict that had developed, I told the elders that I would resign as soon as I could make arrangements for living quarters. From that moment, the miraculous working of God became evident. Our supporters began to reason that my salary through the years had paid for a residence for the church and that I should not be turned out without one to live in. Those who opposed me, out of both a sense of justice and a desire to be rid of me, agreed. All sorts of plans were investigated by which I could live in the parsonage rent free, hold it in life estate, or purchase it at a nominal price. Conflicts with social security benefits and income tax requirements made each proposal prohibitive. The only practical solution was for the church to deed the house to us as a gift. And so it is, we hold a deed of gift to this residence, to be ours as long as either of us live in it, and then it will revert back to the church. For such a thing to be accomplished by people in deep conflict shows the working of God. It is nothing short of a miracle that he brought our fourth house into reality.

Although we could not boast of having left everything to follow Jesus, as Peter and the others had done, the Lord let Lea and me enjoy the same promise that he made to them: "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life" (Matt. 19:27f).

Perhaps, I should not stop with the four houses. Just this week, a loving lady from a distant state, a person whom we have never seen or spoken with before, in a telephone conversation, invited us to come to live with her and her husband. And she really meant it!

None of us look forward to such a residence, but many of us will spend our last days in a nursing home, being dependent upon the care of others. If that happens to Lea or me, I hope that we can still recognize the hand of God in it.

All of earth's houses are temporary. Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us so we may be with him forever. Paul, the tentmaker who looked upon his frail body as nothing more permanent than a tent, could share this hope with us: "For we know that if the earthly tent we live in be destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens" (2 Cor. 5:1).

LATER (1994): God still has surprises for us! Through the loving care of our children, Paul and Mira Prince, we have been provided another retirement home in Oregon at the address on the title page of his book.