Blog
Rooting Flowers and Faith
People taking a stroll through my parents’ yard would see various kinds of plants, trees, and flowers they have planted over the 41 years they have owned their property. There are many varieties of daylilies, hydrangeas, azaleas, various kinds of roses, marigolds,...
Seeing People As People
I passed a man enjoying some shade under the pecan trees of our church parking lot on my way home for lunch last week. The door of his car was open and he looked to be relaxing and doing some reading. I almost walked by but then I stopped and spoke with him, as I was...
Unbridled Joy on Display at Graduation
Most schools just finished with another academic year and have graduated another class of students. Graduation services have been held. Here in Jefferson, GA, two male athletes stood in the position of valedictorian and salutatorian. Evan Shirreffs, the...
Ministry is Not a Solo Act
Do we ever accomplish anything in ministry alone? I don’t think so. I thought about that recently when someone asked me to name some of the things I’ve accomplished throughout my ministry. While I can name some things, nothing on my list would qualify as a solo act....
Are You Listening the to Great Coxswain?
A few weeks ago Tina and I stopped in Oak Ridge, Tennessee to watch our first-ever regatta. As the sculls raced down the river toward the finish line, we listened as the coxswains called out words of instructions to the crews. The coxswain, or cox, as he or she is...
Maundy Thursday Reflections on Good Friday
There were four staff members including our organist; another musician; choir members; acolytes; a sound and lighting person; a soloist; seven readers; those who prepared the communion table and helped serve communion; and those who changed out the colors on our...
The Church and the Andy Griffith Show Share the Bond of Community
The Andy Griffith Show, which ran from 1960 to 1968, ended as the number one show on television and it has been ranked by T.V. Guide as the ninth best show ever. One irony of this family-oriented show is that the majority of the characters are single. The main...
Experiencing God Through Different Expressions of Worship
My paths once crossed with a guitarist who was music leader for a pastor’s conference I was attending in Tennessee. He discovered that I had once pastored Trinity Baptist Church in Moultrie, GA. After he asked me about the music ministry there, I explained to him...
Sounds I Miss From Growing Up with Grandparents
Screen door opening and closing. Ticking of Big Ben alarm clock on the mantel of grandparent’s house. Crickets in a cricket box used for fishing trips. Voice of my grandmother calling me “Sonny Boy.” Chickens clucking in the yard. Rain hitting my grandparent's tin...
All is Not Lost
Spoiler Alert (Movie Review) My wife picked out a movie not long ago and said, “I chose this movie because it has Morgan Freeman in it. All of his movies are good.” Robert Redford was the other main actor in that movie. I just smiled. I agree with my wife’s assessment...
Is Heaven a Lot of Malarkey?
If you take a quick stroll through the religion section of a bookstore, it might surprise you how many people are going to heaven these days but are not staying. Currently, there are no less than twelve such books for sale on Amazon about people who have taken a brief...
Entering 2015 With the God of Possibilities
When our children were young, we owned bicycles equipped with child seats. Riding the bicycle with one of our boys in a child’s seat was a fun way for us to spend time together. I got some exercise while one of the boys enjoyed the changes of scenery. We also talked...