Making An Uncertain Sound

I was delivering a Sunday night sermon years ago at the end of a long day. The congregation began laughing for no explicable reason, so I stopped and asked about this.

“You said we had ‘feets’ of clay,” someone said.

We all had a laugh, and then I bore down, “But we all DO have feets of clay!”

I guess everyone that evening was as Dave Barry says, “humor deprived,” so this minor slip seemed like a killer line from a stand-up comic.

I conducted a funeral lately and thought I put a larger-font copy of Romans 8 in my Bible. I said, “Hear the triumphant word of the Apostle Paul,” then I read from my notes a passage from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah about mounting up with wings as eagles. I was temporarily flummoxed by confusing the passages, but no one seemed to notice, or at least no one said anything about it afterward.

I suppose I should be grateful that, as far as I know, I’ve not made more major slips of the tongue in sermons—yet.

Proclaiming the word of God is a weighty responsibility that teachers and preachers don’t take lightly. Some teachers in our church tell me they do lesson preparation at home every night of the week.

A Southern Baptist statesmen a generation ago used to say he spent an hour in study for every minute he spoke from the pulpit. Though his commitment to truth was admirable, no pastor I know has time to do this. Pastors stay busy with visits, administration and unexpected crises, like funerals, and don’t have 30 hours or more for study each week. And most pastors preach or teach two or three times each week, so the math doesn’t compute.

Pastors do try hard to protect a certain amount of study time. If we don’t, other demands intrude, and study is neglected. I have friends who study late at night at home, and others who, like me, find the early morning hours most often uninterrupted. Some pastors have “hide-away” studies where they can “hole up” for sermon preparation, and some ask office staff to “hold” calls at certain hours. Everyone has to find their own way, I suppose.

Paul insisted the “trumpet must not make an uncertain sound” (1 Corinthians 14:8). Modern pastors strive to find truth and speak truth. They also try to make scripture understandable by using the most precise language possible, and the simplest.

If your pastor takes a slip of the tongue, or uses an unfamiliar word or two on occasion, please forgive him. Know that he or she is trying to faithfully communicate the word of life for the benefit of all.

Death Shows No Partiality

Visitors to the Little White House in Warm Springs, Ga., view a charming movie clip of President Franklin Roosevelt in one of the pools on the property. He’s throwing a beach ball and playing with children in the pool, who like him, were seeking relief from polio in the warm, mineral-laden waters of the community.

It’s baffling that most Americans didn’t know the president used a wheelchair. The late newsman David Brinkley said in his autobiography that White House press conferences used to be held in the Oval Office. The president sat at his desk to answer questions, and Brinkley said it never occurred to them to include in their reporting that the president used a wheelchair.

Today we know about goings-on in the Oval Office within months of a new administration since “tell-all” books are published quickly!

In the president’s home in Georgia one can see the “Unfinished Portrait” of FDR in the cabin’s living area.

Artist Elizabeth Shoumatoff sat with Roosevelt on April 12, 1945 to paint his portrait. The president complained of a “terrific headache” and decided to lie down. The small bedroom is modest—it doesn’t look like a bedroom of royalty. It’s wood paneled and the bed is a single twin bed. The president lay down on that bed and died.

Is there an opportune time for a president to die? No, but especially at that moment. Roosevelt was commander-in-chief of the American armed forces and the leader of the free world. World War II was winding down but wasn’t done yet. Hitler was on the ropes, but it would take another month before Nazi Germany surrendered. Hirohito was on the ropes, but it would take another four months before the Empire of Japan surrendered.

Furthermore, the president was overseeing a top-secret research program called “The Manhattan Project.” With the help of former German scientists, America was developing a new and deadly weapon called the atomic bomb. This project was so secret that Vice President Harry Truman knew nothing about it.

That afternoon first lady Eleanor Roosevelt summoned Truman to the White House in Washington and addressed him for the first time as “Mr. President.”

The “Unfinished Portrait” of FDR is a reminder that death shows no partiality.

The writer of the Epistle of Hebrews said, “It is appointed to men once to die, and after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Somewhere on God’s calendar is a “red letter” day as far as you and I are concerned. It’s the day we’ll step into eternity and meet our creator.

Realizing the frailty of life ought to motivate us to choose wisely today. Death often comes suddenly and unexpectedly, putting an end to all our tomorrows.

Watching One Another's Back

Gabriel Byrne portrayed Dr. Paul Weston, a therapist on the TV program “In Treatment.” I caught a few episodes several years ago when our cable company gave a preview, and later rented the series. I watched in rapt attention as Dr. Weston probed the issues and brought about breakthroughs for his patients.

But Paul was often clueless about himself. For example, his patient, Laura, was a temptress. Paul knew this, and knew he should refer her to another counselor, but he wouldn’t do so. And Paul and his wife, Kate, didn’t communicate. A little tenderness could perhaps have healed their marriage, but neither was willing to offer it.

Paul did have the good sense to talk with an old friend and therapist, Gina, who made an insightful comment.

“Paul,” she said, “we often see clearly the patterns in the lives of others but not our own.”

I’m quite sure this is true for us all.

I heard Dr. Jimmy Allen a number of years ago teach about the Christian solider Paul described in Ephesians 6: the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith and the sword of the spirit. Allen insisted this soldier was protected save in one area.

“This soldier is vulnerable to an attack from the rear,” he said. “He needs someone to watch his back.”

I thought about this lately when a woman asked me about an issue in her church. Her pastor is apparently a bit out of touch over a matter that has potential of becoming a larger issue.

The Ministering to Ministers Foundation has recommended for years that every pastor have a “feedback group” in his church. This is an informal group of three or four respected church members who know the pulse of the congregation. MTM says the pastor should bring this group together occasionally and ask, “How are things going? How am I doing?”

Of course it takes a confident pastor to submit to some of the possible judgments, but the pastor is wise if he listens to his leaders. They watch his back.

The pastor needs feedback, but the rest of us do, too.

One way we do this is with a support group. Ideally that’s what a Sunday School class is—a group of believers who love, support and pray for each other. Sometimes believers join their fellow church members at another time and in another place during the week for Bible study, sharing and prayer. Some do this with a group outside their own church.

We all need support in dealing with blind areas in our lives. We must have some folk who love us and tell us the truth, even when it’s painful. They watch our back.

When People Walk Away From Church

WHEN PEOPLE WALK AWAY FROM CHURCH

“Apostasy” isn’t a word my denomination uses much, probably because we don’t believe in it. Many evangelicals hold to the fifth tenet of John Calvin’s TULIP acronym that a genuinely converted person won’t lose salvation. But it’s true that we witness people who walk away from Christian commitment for various reasons.

I saw this for the first time as a teen-ager. Bobby and his wife were youth workers in another church, but their ministry touched young people in surrounding churches. Bobby worked with a relative who put me in contact with him as a youth speaker, so I was in his church several times for events. On one visit the pastor said, “I don’t know what’s wrong with Bobby. We’ve not seen him in weeks and he won’t tell me what’s wrong.”

A friend and I went to Bobby’s house and, indeed, he wouldn’t talk about it. His wife sat there in tears. We assured him of our love and prayers, but I don’t know how this experience worked out since I moved away to college shortly thereafter and never saw Bobby again.

I’ve seen similar situations in the ensuing years, and each one has been heartbreaking.

I’m convinced there can be a spiritual component to walk-aways. Some believe this is what Jesus’ disciples did in John 21 when they returned to fishing. Jesus came to the seashore and gently prodded them and their leader, Simon Peter, into rededication (John 21).

My experience has taught me that most often human relationships are a major factor in walk-aways.

Sometimes couples experience conflict. No marriage is perfect, and storms are sure to come. Wise spouses realize the value of their investment in each other. A pastor shocked a couple when he suggested their issues were beyond his expertise and they needed a professional who would charge a fee. They said they couldn’t afford a counselor.

“If you had cancer, could you afford treatment?” he asked.

He meant that a sick marriage, like a sick body, might need a professional with some costs involved.

Sometimes the walk-aways are in conflict with other church members. We’d like to think that congregational life is a slice of heaven, and it is in many ways. But just as in basketball, sometimes elbows are thrown intentionally or not, and people get hurt. The old church covenant has wise counsel: “to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation, and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay.”

 I’ve always believed that sincere believers with a genuine love for God can find a path to reconciliation. The church is in the redemption business, and sometimes this means restoring walk-aways to useful service.

Being A Christian In The Restaurant

I stood there a bit speechless since it didn’t work out like I’d planned, though I suppose it made me look kind-hearted.

I paid the bill for my hamburger lunch and then gave the cashier a five-dollar bill.

“Can I have some dollars?” I asked.

She responded, “Who was your server?”

I pointed to the server, also behind the counter, and the cashier gave her the $5. The server quickly smiled and said “Thanks!”

I still don’t know how “Can I have some dollars?” became “Give this to my server,” and I didn’t know how tactfully to regroup and start over. So I left after giving a $5 tip for a $7 meal—something like a 70 percent tip.

Our son managed a restaurant for several years and used to instruct me on appropriate tipping. According to payscale.com, the average salary for a server is $6.87 an hour, though it’s my understanding this is a bit high for our area. I’ve heard that servers earn two or three dollars per hour and rely on tips to make up the rest of what they need. Certainly we need to remember this when dining out.

I had two students at the Christian college I was affiliated with who gave their final persuasive speeches in public speaking class on proper tipping. Both had been or were currently servers, and both shared their experience that Sunday lunch was the worst meal for tipping. I found this quite an indictment of the faith community. I mentioned this in another class as an example of choosing a speaking topic from an area of personal expertise, and had an interesting response from another student.

“Well, Christians give all their money to the church on Sunday morning and probably don’t have enough left to tip much,” she said.

I’m convinced neither assertion is correct.

Another area I’ve observed in restaurants is how badly some people treat their servers. I can’t say these are Christians, of course, but it’s disappointing how picky some diners become and how upset they get over minor issues. My mother always taught us to eat whatever was set before us and be grateful. I often think when observing rude conduct in restaurants that diners ought to remember that this isn’t their final meal before execution at the state penitentiary! They’ll eat again the next day and probably won’t remember whatever irritated them the day before.

Part of Christian discipleship is treating everyone with kindness as good representatives of our graceful savior. I’ve often said how we treat others is the acid test of our faith. We should be kind to those who serve us food, though we may not need to tip 70 percent.

An Appeal To Cellphone Courtesy

I accepted a lunch invitation from a community organization and was happy to meet some new businessmen and women in the area. The day’s speaker was interesting and fun and most of us learned some new things, except several gentlemen at our table. They not only stayed on their cellphones throughout the lecture, but they whispered to one another the entire time. The matter didn’t seem to be urgent since they joked amongst themselves. I thought how strange that these members weren’t supportive of their organization and might as well not have been there at all.

I suppose common courtesy isn’t so common anymore, especially in the era of cellphones. The stats say more than 90 percent of American adults have one, and the Pew Research Center asserts the cellphone is the fastest most adopted device in history. I understand the advantages, of course. I remember years ago collecting three or four telephone numbers for hotels and conference centers where I might be reached by the deacon chairman if needed. This seems so archaic now since we’re never far from contact.

But I also lament that many appear to be conversant on cellphones but not with each other. How often do we see families in restaurants with each person on their phones instead of talking together?

Teachers frequently fight this battle in the classroom. Some schools have strict policies, but others leave discretion to the instructor. Nevertheless, some students can’t seem to function without device in hand.

A teacher told me of two disruptive students who she eventually confronted. They admitted they were texting each other during her lecture about what their weekend plans were. She told them they were wasting their parents’ money in a college classroom since they weren’t learning or preparing for a career.

We face the same kind of issue in the churches. Many follow the day’s scripture text on Bible aps, and this is fine. But others, I’m told, apparently choose to text and surf and ignore scriptural truth shared from the pulpit.

 We had a different manifestation a few years back when pastors commonly included notes in the weekly bulletin with spaces for key words. One lady said to me, “My pastor thinks I’m taking sermon notes, but I’m really making my shopping list!” I was surprised by her admission and by her levity, and I couldn’t help but think she was treating her spiritual life very casually.

 It’s a courtesy to pay attention to anyone presenting helpful information. This is uniquely true in the churches where ministers work hard to share life-changing truth each week. Choosing to ignore God’s word is not only discourteous, but a bad life decision.

Making Things Right

I was invited to offer the invocation on the beginning day of the Alabama legislative session in March thanks to a young lady from our church who works for Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon. It was my first time in the chamber, and it was a great experience. Before returning home, I stopped to say hello to political consultant David Azbell whom I met years ago in a political items collectors group. David’s office is an impressive museum and he has some interesting stories to tell!

I saw a picture on his wall and asked him to tell me more about it.

Vivian Malone was one of two African American students who wished to enroll at the University of Alabama in 1963. Gov. George C. Wallace fulfilled his campaign promise to “stand in the schoolhouse door” if necessary to prevent this. The governor, along with the majority of Alabamians in the day, supported segregation. The president federalized the Alabama National Guard who asked Wallace to step aside. Both students enrolled later in the day. Malone transferred as a junior and became the first student of color to graduate from UA in 1965.

Fast forward to 1996. Former Gov. Wallace invited Malone to Montgomery to receive the Lurleen B. Wallace Award of Courage as “a woman who, through her actions, changed Alabama for the better.” David said the two were prevented by court order from conversing in 1963, so this was the first time they’d met. It was a cordial meeting. The governor apologized for the events of 1963. Malone said his earlier public apologies sufficed. She returned two years later to attend Wallace’s state funeral.

At the time David served as Wallace’s personal assistant, so he was eyewitness to the conclusion of a lingering chapter in Alabama civil rights history.

David also shared another interesting story.

While cataloguing the governor’s papers, he found a letter Wallace had written to his would-be assassin Arthur Bremer. Bremer had designs to kill a politician and first fixated on Richard Nixon. Somehow, he decided to target Wallace. Bremer shot four people, all of whom survived, though Wallace was paralyzed.

David said he immediately drove to Wallace’s home to ask about the letter. The governor said it was a private letter and he never made it public. In it, Wallace assured Bremer of his forgiveness and prayers for redemption in Christ.

Perhaps Wallace knew his life was nearly done and wanted to make amends. In this regard he remains a good example. We’re all transients on earth, and as Emerson said, we need to “keep our friendships in repair.”

And it’s a mark of God’s grace to reach out to former foes as well.

Living Responsibly In The Kingdom Of God

I taught recently in our church about the concept of Christian liberty vs. Christian responsibility. The Apostle Paul introduced the idea in 1 Corinthians when he wrote about meat having been offered to idols. After its use in pagan worship the meat was discounted and sold in the marketplace. Some early Christians purchased and consumed it while others believed the practice respected paganism.

Paul argued that idols are nothing and, therefore, the meat was offered to nothing. And he said, “Food will not bring us close to God” (1 Corinthians 8: 8). If food did bring us close to God, we’d all eat angel food cake! But he also taught we have a responsibility to care for brothers and sisters in the faith who may have an issue with idol meat: “If food causes my brother or sister to fall, I will never again eat meat” (v. 13).

A social media site proposed a question lately about Christians and alcohol. I responded that alcohol may be one of the issues in this mix. Perhaps I have liberty to drink, but I don’t want to harm others who might become problem drinkers through my example.

I engaged in some back-and-forth through cyberspace with a young man who disagreed. He asked if I’d give up sugar if my use of sugar caused a diabetic to stumble. I think I’d be better off giving up sugar, though it would be hard since many of our foods contain at least traces of it. Accordingly, diabetics do consume sugar, and insulin.

I responded if this was a genuine spiritual issue, I’d have to consider sugar-abstinence.

Then I gave him two real examples. A Christian school I’ve been affiliated with forbids employees to drink, and the church I attend forbids deacons to drink. So, obviously, here are two organizations for whom the matter of influence includes alcohol.

Certainly I’m aware of other Christian groups for whom alcohol is not an issue, but for most Baptist churches it is. I can’t imagine this young man having much of a future in Baptist church leadership if he continues to flaunt beer and cigars!

I’ve never been a drinker; I often joke I get into enough trouble being sober. But the matter of idol meat is thought-provoking. Though Christ has freed us from legalism (Galatians 5:1), our choices must be carefully weighed as we consider the measure of our influence.

The late Dr. Frank Stagg taught there are several “polarities” in humanity’s existence. For example, salvation is “gift” but also “demand” since an obedient life is required. And, he suggested, Christians are “free,” yet “bound.” We’re free to use discernment, but also bound to our Christian family in love.

Gossip Vs. Grace

He was a pastor and quite a raconteur who entertained audiences with good stories and humor. He was also known for his hand-written letters in the days before texting and email overtook pen and paper. I received a chatty letter or two after hosting him at an event in our church. But I remember one letter he sent that bothered me.

Another pastor was accused of a crime, but not charged by local authorities. He remained at his church for a while but eventually stepped aside. The letter-writing pastor sent me a photocopied letter addressed to “My Friend,” so obviously I was one of at least two or more who received it. He described details of the alleged crime and what he was hearing from people in that church. Though I understood the men were friends, the letter was more gossip than grace.

I thought about this lately when a pastor I know fell into some difficulty. My first reaction was curiosity. What happened? Then I heard the better angels of my nature declaring it wasn’t my concern, and that I should call to express love and offer help, which I did.

I know we often tread a fine line between concern and gossip in our congregations. I’ve been in many prayer meetings that delved into diagnoses—what the doctors said, and relationships—who was related to who. I remember one prayer meeting where I quickly lost leadership and stood there bewildered as the church member requesting prayer for another explained who the man’s cousins were naturally and through two marriages!

I suppose it would be helpful to have some kind of HIPAA law in the church so this kind of thing wouldn’t happen. We really don’t need to know all the details about sickness and sin to pray for someone. We believe God knows all the details already. He only wants us to bring our concerns to him and to be merciful to others.

I’ll always remember a better example while a student at Southern Seminary in Louisville. Dr. Henlee Barnett was teaching our Christian Ethics class one day about relating to God and country. He cited a radio preacher known for his strong pro-America stance who had criticized Dr. Barnette. Our professor read some news clippings to us about this from a file. A student raised his hand to announce he’d just picked up his copy of a national news magazine in the post office, and there was a story about this broadcaster being investigated for inappropriate relationships.

Without asking for more details, Dr. Barnette said, “Well, I forgive him. He has troubles enough now.”

Dr. Barnett showed us in this unique way what Christian grace really is.

Forgiving Others

I was in college and conducting a youth revival in an Anniston-area church. The protestant chaplain at Ft. McClellan was a member of the church, and he'd asked the pastor to conduct the Sunday morning base service in his absence. The pastor invited me to accompany him and to read scripture in the service. After I'd finished, a female officer whispered to me, "Pastor, you're supposed to lead us in the Lord's Prayer at this time." I panicked, not sure if I'd remember it! Fortunately after I began the congregants joined in and completed the prayer.

I'm ashamed of this now, but I wasn't taught the Lord's Prayer as a child. I don't remember our church using it. I remember memorizing the books of the Bible in VBS but I never had instruction on the Lord's Prayer.

The Lord's Prayer is a prayer for the community of faith. Plural pronouns, such as "we," "us" and "our," are used nine times. It's a prayer we can share. It's also true that liturgy--the word used to describe the elements of worship--literally means "the work of the people." Too often worship is a spectator sport in which we're content to let one or two do the work. In addition to singing together, the church can pray the Lord's Prayer together as worship participation.

The prayer is divided into three sections. The first is three petitions directed to God. The second section--the fourth petition--is a prayer for the things we need in life. The third section has to do with our spiritual lives.

It's striking that after the final "amen" Jesus added a footnote to the prayer. In Matthew 6: 14-15 he said, "Your heavenly Father will forgive you if you forgive those who sin against you, but if you refuse to forgive them, he will not forgive you."

We learned a significant lesson in forgiveness a few summers ago. A 21-year-old named Dylan Roof entered the Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston and sat through a portion of the church's prayer meeting. Then he stood and began firing his handgun, striking 10 people and killing nine. Investigations found that he, like Charles Manson before him, wanted to start a race war. But a matter of race became a matter of grace. Families of survivors began to speak publicly about their forgiveness for Roof. The headline in the New York Daily News was succinct: "We forgive you; hate won't win."

Very few of us find ourselves in this kind of unique situation, and it makes the grudges and animosities we hold seem so trivial by comparison.

What would happen if we took Jesus's prayer footnote seriously and began to forgive others?

On Regrets

A mentor when I was younger insisted Monday was a good day for pastors since the pressure of the upcoming Sunday hadn’t yet settled in. He was in the minority because many pastors joke about Mondays being “resignation day.” They feel badly about the day before and drag in on Monday with discouragement. Another pastor I knew did reverse psychology. He had staff meetings at 8 a.m. on Monday morning so his compatriots wouldn’t drag in!

I drug in a few Mondays ago distraught over my sermon the day before. It didn’t flow like I’d planned, so I took time to re-do it before filing notes away. Of course, I won’t get to reuse it in my present ministry station, since some people write these things in their Bibles, but I couldn’t bear to save it without reorganization.

The Greek philosopher Aristotle taught principles of rhetoric--the “Aristotelian proofs”--and we still use these to teach public speaking. One of his three key principles was “logos.” He meant that a speaker’s research, organization and word choice in large measure made one effective or not. A presentation needs to be easy to “track,” as millennials say.

I thought about recalling our congregation for a sermon re-do. However, another Greek, Heraclitus, famously said “no man steps into the same river twice.” Life moves on and we’ll never have the same moment again. By the way, this is one of the primary motivations for making good use of every opportunity since opportunities are temporary.

I began to think about how many times I wish I might stage a personal intervention and re-do something.

I’ve said things I shouldn’t have said. Most often when I’ve given someone a piece of my mind, I regretted it later.

I had an office assistant once who dared ask if I really wanted to mail a letter of reprimand to a neighboring pastor who had insulted our church. I did mail it, but I should’ve listened to her superior wisdom and refused to get in the mud with him.

And I’ve done things I shouldn’t have done. As TV’s Jesse Stone said, “You know, you live long enough, you have regrets. And the ones that nag at you the most are the ones where you knew you had a choice. The ones where you knew you could have stopped yourself. The ones where you looked into the mirror and everything good inside you said, 'Don't do this.'"

 None of us can completely undo the wrong we’ve done in the past. But it’s possible to grow in wisdom and in relationships. We can humbly repent before God, and we can make peace with those we hurt along the way.

The Joy Of Stuff

I read the story in "The Christian Century" some time ago. The author and her husband held three teacups in their hands after the husband's mother downsized and moved to a smaller apartment. The couple talked about which items to keep or to discard in a home that was already full of things. The question they asked about each item was, "Does this item spark joy?"

The writer said she got this concept from Marie Kondo who's written extensively about de-cluttering one's life. Kondo says that if an item doesn't “spark joy” it should be sold or given to another person for whom it would bring pleasure. An interesting corollary to this philosophy is that Kondo even suggests we talk to the item we're about to discard, thank it for the joy it brought and wish it well in its new place!

I'm not sure our friends would consider us sane if they came to our home and found us talking to the drapery and the silverware, but the basic premise is a good one. We express thanks for the things that bring joy to our lives.

I read the Apostle Paul's words with new appreciation this week: "Let [us] place confidence in God, who lavishly provides us with everything for our enjoyment" (1 Timothy 6:17).

The above-cited verse is addressed to "the rich." Though some might deny this descriptor, all of us are rich. By the grace of God we're Americans living in a land of plenty. The Global Village at Habitat for Humanity's International Headquarters in Americus, Ga. has actual housing from the third world--housing we wouldn't use for our dogs or lawnmowers in America. We are all blessed.

And scripture affirms the concept that God is a lavish giver of things. He's not a killjoy; he wants us to enjoy possessions. Accordingly, some find joy in coins or stamps, salt shakers or ceramic frogs, political items or books. These things spark joy. And part of our reason for worship is to thank God for the joy we find in things.

But scripture also affirms that we should handle things responsibly by remembering the needs of others around us. The Bible pointedly asserts that if we have goods and see a brother without goods and don't share, the love of God doesn’t live in our hearts (1 John 3:17).

Ultimately we'll stand before God to give account of our use of every opportunity and every possession. John the revelator said both "small and great" will stand before the Lord of the universe. The small is you and me. The great is the Kennedys, the Rockefellers, Bezos and Gates.

God will hold us accountable for how we handled things.

Call Your Mother

An ABC tribute to Gilda Radner some time ago reminded me of the number of people we’ve lost in the last few years who made us laugh: John Belushi, John Candy, Phil Hartman, Bob Hope, Grady Nutt, Robin Williams, Rodney Dangerfield, Jerry Clower and others.

Humor has great value. Solomon said laughter is medicine for the soul (Proverbs 17:22), and sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is to have a good laugh.

Lincoln, a man who suffered depression or "melancholia" as it was called in those days, talked about the value of humor in the stressful days of the Civil War.

“With the fearful strain that is on me," he said, "if I did not laugh, I would die.”

Lewis Grizzard was a great Southern humorist. But, occasionally, he stepped aside from humor and made some pretty astute observations about life. He did this, I believe, in one of his books entitled, “Call Your Mama—I Wish I Could Call Mine.”

Me too, Lewis.

I guess I thought my mother would live forever. She was a constant in the changes of my life.  But there came that terrible December in 1993 when our family had gathered for Christmas and she was so sick she couldn’t function. I thought maybe she'd worked too hard preparing the house and the meal, but she lay down on the couch and didn't have energy to get up. My wife and sister forcibly took her to the local hospital. An X-ray turned up something ominous, and the doctor thought she needed to go to a larger hospital for tests.

The Monday following Christmas the doctors at Birmingham’s St. Vincent’s Hospital confirmed the dread diagnosis: cancer. In seven weeks she was gone. 

Those were weeks of trial as my siblings and I scheduled time to be with her and take care of things. One of the most stressful rites of passage is caring for aging and dying parents. In addition to the shock of impending loss there's the demands of everyday tasks that must be done.

I read something recently about the trauma we experience when our mothers die. Mothers, the article stated, represent unconditional love, and we're often unprepared for a world in which no one else seems to fill that significant role.

God knew what he was doing when he invented the family and put mothers in them. She is the family's heart, civilizing us and teaching us to care. Mothers fill a niche no one else can. They love us and are proud of us no matter what.

May 12 is Mother’s Day. 

Be sure to call your mother. 

I wish I could call mine.

Pray For America

May 2 is the National Day of Prayer when we pause to thank God for our nation, seek forgiveness for our sins and ask his guidance in the future.

There were at least two major proclamations before the event was formalized. The Continental Congress called the colonies to pray in 1775, and President Lincoln asked the nation to pray in 1863. Our modern observance was created in 1952 under President Truman and amended under President Reagan in 1988 to fall on the first Thursday in May. Every president since 1952 has signed a National Day of Prayer proclamation.

Some Christians have expressed their unease when the government calls for prayer, but, in reality, Christians asked the government only to recognize this day, not to mandate it.

It’s true that religion and politics have a testy relationship. Jon Ward wrote “Camelot’s End,”  a book about the Kennedy challenge to the Carter reelection campaign in 1980. The book reminded me of the John and Robert Kennedy tragedies, how Sen. Ted Kennedy wrestled with the lingering questions from the Chappaquiddick episode of 1969 and how America reacted to the former governor of Georgia, a Baptist deacon, declaring he’d been “born again.” A majority of evangelical voters supported Gov. Carter in ’76 but turned to Gov. Ronald Reagan in 1980.

We had another uneasy time in the ’90s when President Clinton was embroiled in moral crisis. I told our church at the time that Christians condemn this conduct while we pray for our president. I recall a member of our church taking me to task for “mixing politics and religion”! I never could get him to understand we were speaking about different issues.

We all have political opinions, But whether one is Democrat or Republican, we’re exhorted to pray for “kings and all those in authority over us” (1 Timothy 2:2).

For what should we pray?

First, we pray for peace. The most demanding role of the president is commander-in-chief. The nuclear codes are always nearby in a briefcase euphemistically called “the football.” Armageddon can begin in half an hour. Perhaps this is the reason our presidents seem to age so markedly in office.

Chaos prevents the church from evangelizing and serving in an optimal manner. A society of peace is the best environment for the church to do her work.

Second, we pray for wisdom for those who lead. We ask that all our elected officials seek God’s leadership, turn from graft and serve the people who elected them.

And we pray wisdom for all citizens as we approach a significant election in 2020. We need God’s direction as we vote.

I hope everyone will schedule time this week to pray for America.

On Finishing In Second Place

I found former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s book at our local library recently and enjoyed reading about his life and service. I heard the governor speak in 2012 and know him to be a commanding figure in person. He didn’t hold back in his book, either!

Christie told about his rise from federal prosecutor to governor, flirting with national office and the two issues he dealt with in his final term that torpedoed his popularity: Bridgegate and Beachgate. In the former, he explained that the investigation drug on for two years but cleared him of all charges. And he described the latter as a news media publicity stunt. Christie and his family were photographed by helicopter on a state beach during a time of state government shut-down. Thus, the public accused him of privilege. Christie explained that the public beaches were open, though the state beaches weren’t, and that the beach he was on always had a one-mile perimeter protected by New Jersey security.

I guess I’d overlooked the drama in 2016 as the soon-to-be-nominee Donald Trump determined who his running-mate would be. It came down to two: Christie and Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana. Christie said Trump offered him another government post, but Christie only had interest in the so-called “veep-stakes” or Attorney General. He walked away with neither since Trump had already offered the justice spot to Sen Jeff Sessions.

This story reminded me that life often comes down to two choices. Most of us have had the distinction of finishing in second place every now and again.

Sometimes we fall short in job interviews or promotions. I remember a department director in state government telling me this years ago, insisting that they had to hire a female. My being a stepping stone for female advancement didn’t make me feel any better! And we take little comfort in being number two in athletic competitions, even though our team may have defeated a dozen or more in the process of becoming number two--as with Alabama football or Auburn basketball this year.

As followers of Christ we know we’re always number two! We’re called to be God’s servants, and the servant’s desires are always subject to the master’s desires. We subjugate our goals to his, and this process is never-ending. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “I die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:31).

And along the way we have to learn to pick ourselves up and press forward in those days when we fall short of some objective. King Solomon wrote, “For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again” (Proverbs 24:16).

The God who created us rejoices in our success and sympathizes in our failure.

A Friday To Remember

The wind in my face was bitterly cold in downtown Dallas a few years ago since the winter weather was yet lingering. My continuing education classes had ended at the seminary in nearby Ft. Worth, so the afternoon was free for some sightseeing.

A chill came over me independent of the temperature when I walked onto Dealey Plaza and saw firsthand those sights emblazoned in my memory from childhood: Elm Street, the triple overpass and the sixth-floor window.

I thought back to that terrible Friday in November, 1963. Our class had just returned from lunch when Mr. Vines, our principal, made an announcement on the intercom.

“Boys and girls,” he said, “some of you may have heard already that our president’s been shot. Let’s try to finish out the day in school and I’ll let you know the latest news when I hear more.”

Nevertheless, the senseless death of President Kennedy so paralyzed us that I don’t remember our doing much work in school that Friday afternoon. I remember my family and me glued to the old black-and-white television throughout the weekend and during the president’s funeral the next week.

That Friday in November will live in the bad memory section of my brain forever.

This week the world remembers another bleak Friday on which Jesus of Nazareth was murdered.

His death was senseless, too, for he’d done no wrong. In fact, bribed witnesses had to be brought in to lie about him at his trial. One of the thieves who died with him realized Jesus' innocence when he said, “We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong" (Luke 23: 41).

British writer Richard Jefferies told of a little boy who gazed at a graphic painting of Calvary and exclaimed, “If God had’a been there, he wouldn’t have let them do it!”

But God was there! He wasn't removed from the event at Calvary. Paul insisted “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself" (2 Corinthians 5:19).

God was present at the cross, and he showed us that he loves us in spite of disobedience, that he offers forgiveness to all and that he wants to be our partner in building a life filled with hope.

God’s redemptive plan wasn’t completed on Friday. The Father was faithful to his son and raised him on the third day. Now God promises to welcome all his children on the other side of death.

In light of God’s ultimate plan we believers have renamed that awful Friday. 

We call it Good Friday. 

And so it is.

On Interpreting The Bible

A community continued to lose population and its small churches got smaller. Someone proposed the citizens have a town meeting and determine what options they had. One attendee suggested the declining churches merge to form one community church, and that it be called the Christian church.

A Baptist deacon rose to protest.

"I've been a Baptist for 60 years," he said, "and nobody's gonna' make a Christian out of me!"

A blogger recently insisted that denominations are wrong and a symbol of our failure to hear Jesus' prayer that we be one (John 17:21). Perhaps so, but I don't think we'll see any change in the denominational landscape in the foreseeable future. Denominations exist because we don't interpret the Bible in the same way.

But I'm convinced all of us should hold to three principles as we read the Bible.

First, we interpret the Bible literally. This was the contention of the late Dr. Clyde Francisco. He said we don't read the Bible because we don't understand it, but because it disturbs us.

For example, the Bible says, "love your neighbor as you love yourself," and "forgive one another as God through Christ has forgiven you" and "seek first God's kingdom and everything else will find its proper place." These commands are simple in language, but "pack a wallop" when we obey.

Second, we interpret the Bible symbolically. Often the Bible uses symbol to convey truth. In the gospels Jesus said that if the people on Palm Sunday were silenced, "the very stones would cry out" in praise to God. This is poetry. We know Jesus could've made stones sing if he wished, but this strains the point. He was using poetry to say that praise was in order that day.

And Jesus sometimes used hyperbole--the language of exaggeration that shocks the hearer. He said that one is to "hate father and mother" when following him. The Bible is clear that we're to honor our parents, but his point is that our love for God must be so great that all other loves pale in comparison.

And Jesus said if we have lust in our hearts we should pluck out our eye or cut off our hand. The Bible teaches our bodies are God's gifts and we treat them like a temple--a place where God dwells. And losing an eye or a hand wouldn't cure a heart problem anyway. This shocking language is a way to say that lust is destructive and must be battled.

Thirdly, we interpret the Bible seriously. Jesus told of our final exam in Matthew 25. One day we'll be tested on how well we read God's word and obeyed it.

On Giving Up Breadsticks

I got home a few weeks ago to face awful criticism. My wife said, “You reek of garlic!” It’s true I’d been to an Italian restaurant for lunch and had a breadstick or two, but the garlic in the bread was something I didn’t detect. As Robert Burns wrote, “Would some Power give us the gift to see ourselves as others see us.” Burns wrote his poem after he saw a louse on a lady’s bonnet at church and thought how horrified she’d be if she knew the parasite was crawling on her.

All in all, it’s much better to smell of garlic than to host a parasite.

Nevertheless, I had a decision to make—either enjoy my wife’s company or give up breadsticks. I really love breadsticks, but the choice wasn’t hard to make.

I told this story at church lately and we all had a good laugh. But I shared it in the context of a message on worthy goals. For a worthy family goal, I asked the women to tune out for a minute while I spoke to the men.

The Apostle Paul gave two straightforward words to men in the book of Ephesians. “Fathers, bring up your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” he wrote in chapter six. It’s always been God’s intention that the man be spiritual priest of the household. It’s the man’s job to be sure children receive religious instruction. Of course, countless women have taken up the slack when men haven’t lived up to this ideal, but the ideal is real, nonetheless.

Many men in my age group look back with regret to the time our children were young. We were so busy with work responsibilities that we didn’t give enough time to our children who now are grown and away. We wished we’d done better. But we “seasoned citizens” also know our gracious God has given us another chance with grandchildren. We can tell them they’re special, love them and pray for them. We can be their parents’ best partners in raising their children.

Paul also instructed husbands to “love your wives as Christ loved the church” (Ephesians 5:25). This exhortation is in the context of the wife being in submission to the husband—a passage of some interpretive difficulty. But I can’t autocratically instruct my wife to submit if I ignore my part of the contract. To me is given he seemingly-impossible task of loving her just like Jesus loved his church. He loved his church enough to die for her.

Giving up breadsticks is probably one-one hundredth of one percent of my duty to love my wife as Christ loved his church. But it is that.

A Wolf In The Sheep Pen

Leah is a businesswoman in a nearby community, and I see her occasionally. I knew her when she was in what we used to call “junior high.” I was a college student when I got a call to speak at her church one Sunday. I learned their pastor has suffered a major heart attack and wasn’t expected back at the church for a while. My speaking assignment turned into a six-month commitment, and it was a wonderful experience for me. At the time I had about three or four sermons, so speaking to the same group three times each week was a challenge, but also a time of personal growth.

I remember the community Thanksgiving service scheduled that fall when some of our church members lobbied for me to be the preacher. I smiled sweetly, but inwardly groaned at the thought of another sermon that week! Fortunately, they asked the Methodist pastor to speak at the service.

Leah told me lately she found her old diary and one entry was funny. She wrote, “I got to ride with Mike in his car tonight!” Though I couldn’t remember the specifics, we both had a laugh. But afterward I reflected on how much things have changed since those early years. Today most of our churches have specific policies forbidding ministers to be alone with anybody, much less impressionable children. And these days we have cameras in place in schools and churches so there’s a record of interactions between adults and children.

A Texas newspaper lately did a major expose on child sexual abuse in my denomination. I don’t know the precipitating cause, but the report was quite shocking. An Alabama newspaper did a summary of the series and mentioned local pastors and other ministers who had faced accusations. Double-shock.

I cannot fathom why any adult would wish to harm an innocent child in this way. This malady has to be a deeply ingrained sickness. I attended a denominational training event last year and heard a national presenter say he couldn’t explain the psychology of this aberration, though he could explain the predators’ methodology. And he told us plainly the safeguards we needed to have in place.

I’ve lived long enough to see several major changes in church life. Some are good, like how we “dress down” today in order to make newcomers feel more comfortable, and how we don’t rely as much on “the language of Zion” in favor of more identifiable speech.

But some changes don’t make us proud, such as child protection policies. But in obedience to the one who blessed the children, we do all we can to make church a safe and welcoming place for boys and girls.

What About Autographing The Bible?

The recent tornado in Lee County, Alabama, was devastating with 23 lives lost—several in a single family. How sad that things changed for these residents in such a short time.

U.S. presidents are expected to make appearances following disasters in order to boost morale. We remember President Obama touring Tuscaloosa with Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley in 2011. Likewise, President and Mrs. Trump visited the Auburn area to survey damage and offer encouragement.

The president received criticism for autographing a few Bibles on his visit. He didn’t choose to but was requested to do so by attendees at Providence Baptist Church. According to the AP a young person thrust a Bible into the president’s hands and asked him to sign, and others followed suit. The same story reported a few religious leaders outraged that someone other than the author would sign and claiming the president was “courting” his evangelical base in this way.

Theologians call the original biblical manuscripts “the autographs”—the documents written and  “signed” by Peter, Paul, Moses and others. Evangelicals usually don’t believe it’s disrespecting the original writers to sign Bibles; rather we see it as a way to encourage one another.

One of my boyhood heroes was the Chaplain of Bourbon Street, Bob Harrington. He was a dynamic Christian preacher who was recognized for his ministry in the French Quarter while a student at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. I loved to hear Harrington preach, and probably knew his testimony from memory. He often signed Bibles, as he did for me, with the inscription, “Gratefully saved.” 

I have a Bible signed by the prince of Southern Baptist preachers, W.A. Criswell. Criswell served First Baptist Dallas, Texas for 40 years. He loved young preachers and often took a moment to sign a word of encouragement in our Bibles.

The Bible I most often use in the pulpit was given by a friend in 1980, and his dedication signature is in the foreword.

My ordination Bible is also signed by my pastor at the time.

The Carter Political Items Collectors group I’m a member of has an annual convention in Plains, Ga. We often have Jimmy Carter-signed items in our auctions, including Bibles and other Bible study materials. The auction benefits the Maranatha Baptist Church where the Carters attend.

Another church I served gave a music minister a Bible when he went away to school. He passed it around and asked us to sign our names by our favorite scripture passage as a memento.

The president himself owns a Bible inscribed by Billy Graham.

I think we shouldn’t criticize Bible signing, unless perhaps at a political event. Mr. Trump simply gave his time to encourage hurting people.