Listening to What Simeon Says

A few days after the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph took the baby to the temple, as was the custom, to have him consecrated to the Lord. After offering their traditional sacrifices, they encountered Simeon, a man who was “righteous and devout” and who was “waiting for the consolation of Israel.”

As Simeon was moved by the Spirit, he took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, “For your eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”

Joseph and Mary marveled at the mysterious blessing. But Simeon continued, “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many will be revealed. And a sword that will pierce your own soul too.”

Although the birth of Jesus is celebrated with peace, joy, hope, and love, this matter of following Jesus is risky business. It requires loyal commitment, frequent forgiveness, and stubborn faithfulness.

You have followed the star of Christmas to find Jesus in the manger. Now that a New Year has begun, will you follow him further?

Dare to March to a Different Drummer

The holidays typically usher in a shopping frenzy and frantic pre-occupation with gift giving, but again this year both will likely be tempered by a recurrent wave of market anxiety. As I reflect on how we celebrate Christmas in this challenging economic context, I am focused on the juxtaposition of two seemingly unrelated Bible texts. The first summarizes the journey of the Magi who traveled from the East in search of the mysterious child of promise: When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh (Matthew 2:10-11 NIV).

The second text, which I readily confess does not typically invoke Yuletide emotion, is Romans 12:2, a passage that boldly challenges believers to live out our faith with subversive authenticity: Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will (NIV).

Treasures construed to be the contemporary equivalent of gold, incense, and myrrh are not the only gifts you can present in honor of Jesus. As you finalize your Christmas shopping, perhaps you might consider offering something that costs you a little more of your self, a contribution from your own stratum of talent or giftedness.

Do you recall the legend behind the musical story of “The Little Drummer Boy,” the song about a boy who gave of his meager talent by playing the drum for the Christ child? Introduced in the U.S. in the 1950’s, this memorable holiday carol made popular by Bing Crosby, was actually based on a Czech tune, “Carol of the Drum,” composed by Katherine K. Davis in 1941 and later recorded by the famed Von Trapp Family Singers in Austria. The more familiar “drummer boy” version details the fictional but meaningful tale of a young boy who approached the manger with nothing to offer but his drum. However, as the boy began to play his drum, his unique gift brought a smile to the face of the infant.

Throughout this holiday season a variety of colorful and thematic decorations will adorn many of our church campuses, iconic symbols such as a Christmas tree, an Advent wreath, or a manger crèche. Peculiar in the décor of the church I serve is a drum tree which is constructed annually in our church atrium. Vick Vickery, our recently retired Scoutmaster, assembles this drum tree each year out of 34 percussion instruments from different eras in history. Included in this display are replicas of the rope drum used in the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. Historically, these instruments were crucial for conveying instructions and maintaining morale, for in the days prior to advanced telecommunication, soldiers were trained to listen carefully for strategic commands encoded in the resounding beat of the drummer.

Now, stacked and configured in the form of a Christmas tree, our drum tree serves as a Christmas reminder that God calls us to march to the beat of a different drummer, receiving our formative cues and motivation from the teachings and lifestyle of Jesus. While the default values of our culture may prompt us to spend irresponsibly, to consume disproportionately, and to hurry frantically, our faith calls us to march to the rhythm and cadence of a different percussionist, to be cheerful in giving, gracious in receiving, and intentional in living.

During this festive season of the year, you and I are invited to invest our best gifts, tangible and intangible, in ways that express our allegiance and alignment with the One born in Bethlehem.

A Christmas Prayer for Our City

December 15, 2011

Good and gracious God, during the Advent of this holiday season we give you thanks for the privilege of living in one of the most scenic and resourceful communities in the world.

During this historic week as our military campaign in Iraq comes to a close, we continue to pray for the stability in the Middle East, even as we continue to pray for all the men and women who serve in our nation’s military, especially those deployed in other campaigns. We pray for them to perform their humanitarian mission with effectiveness and precision, and return home safely and soon.

Tonight, we pray for all of our local, state, and national leaders that they will rise to a new level of bipartisan cooperation and that they will have moral courage commensurate to the challenges of our day.

And on this evening, we pray for our great city, for our mayor, our council representatives, and for our fellow citizens.

We are grateful for many exciting and emerging opportunities and possibilities that can potentially make our city more vibrant, more beautiful, and more family-friendly.



We especially pray for those members of our community who are unemployed, those who are facing health hurdles, and those who are striving to make ends meet. May the joy of this season create hope, motivation, and opportunity for a better quality of life for all.

Now, as we come to the close of 2011, and as we look forward to a great year in 2012, may our dreams be big, may our dialogue be civil, may our strategies be effective, and may our resolve be firm.

Just as the lights of Christmas illuminate our town during this season, so may your love and grace provide light for our lives all year long. For we offer our prayer in the name of the one who came to be our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Amen.

(Barry Howard serves as senior minister at the First Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida. This prayer was offered at the December City Council Meeting.)

Rekindling Hope

by Barry Howard

Advent is a time to reclaim the hope we have in Christ. Our hope in Christ reminds us that through the ever-changing circumstances and seemingly insurmountable challenges of life, “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).

As our nation emerges ever-so-gradually from a recession, economic uncertainty has become a global concern, with many European countries either re-organizing or teetering on the brink of financial collapse.

As we prepare for a crucial election year, the rhetoric of the campaigns already sounds more indicative of superficial political posturing than substantive problem-solving.

A general cultural malaise that is saturated with complaint and almost devoid of optimism seems to be contagiously infectious, not just around the nation, but around the world.  And to make matters worse, that sense of hopeless discontent has infiltrated the church.  If the community that has been called to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13), the very bastion of hope, forfeits hope for hopelessness, we may find ourselves rushing toward an apocalyptic future.

Real hope is neither blind nor naïve.  Real hope motivates us to rise above despair and deal with challenging circumstances proactively, constructively, and collaboratively.

A few years ago I read of a rather profound exchange between two clergy who were working together during a season filled with monumental changes.  In 1960, John Claypool began his tenure as pastor at the Crescent Hill Baptist Church in Louisville.  Shortly after his arrival, Claypool became friends with a Jewish rabbi who was forty years his senior.  Their friendship grew deeper as they worked together in the civil rights movement. After a tense and unproductive meeting one day, Claypool looked at his Jewish friend and said, “I think it is hopeless. This problem is so deep, so many-faceted, there is simply no way out of it.”

The rabbi asked Claypool to stay a few minutes after the meeting and said, “Humanely speaking, despair is presumptuous. It is saying something about the future we have no right to say because we have not been there yet and do not know enough. Think of the times you have been surprised in the past as you looked at a certain situation and deemed it hopeless. Then, lo and behold, forces that you did not even realize existed broke in and changed everything. We do not know enough to embrace the absolutism of despair. If God can create the things that are from the things that are not and even make dead things come back to life, who are we to set limits on what that kind of potency may yet do?”

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.   Isaiah 40:28-31

Like the stoking of warm embers to re-awaken the flame, hope can be rekindled by stoking the fire in our bones that propels us “to act justly and love mercy and walk humbly with our God” (Micah 6:8) in all of the seasons of life.

Advent is a season to rekindle our hope and to renew our strength, a hope inspired by God’s perspective and strength that motivates us toward God’s plan, realized on earth as it is in heaven.

(Barry Howard serves as senior minister at the First Baptist Church of Pensacola, Florida.)

Advent: A Progressive Journey toward Christmas

by Barry Howard

When observed faithfully and progressively, Advent can prepare us for a Christmas celebration filled with mystical wonder and deep meaning, a spiritual communion that far exceeds the buzz of shallow commercialism.

In the rural church of my upbringing, we didn’t observe Advent. We jumped directly from Thanksgiving to Christmas.  In our close-knit congregation, the non-negotiable liturgical dates on our church calendar other than Christmas and Easter were Church Conference after worship service on the first Sunday, Gospel Singing on the fourth Sunday night, Revival during the second full week in August, and Homecoming the last Sunday in July. Advent, Epiphany, Lent, Passover, and Pentecost were nowhere to be found.

During my early years as a minister, I was introduced to the colors and candles of Advent and my journey toward Christmas changed drastically.  Today, I am convinced more than ever that as mission-driven Christians who live in a market-driven culture, we need the reflective disciplines of Advent to keep us alert to stealth forces like materialism, busyness, and greed, illusive grinches who would love to steal away the real message and gifts of the season and replace them with superficial slogans and glamorous counterfeits.

For the Christian, the season of Advent calls us to a progressive journey toward Christmas. When our days are seasoned with prayer and saturated in expectation, we think about Christmas differently than the rest of the world.  Advent has a way of rescuing us from the busyness and the relentless anxiety to meet materialistic expectations.

This year in our church we will count down the days until Christmas by listening to the prophets, singing the carols, re-reading the gospels, and lighting the candles that refuel our peace, hope, love, and joy. Then we will be better prepared to sense the anxiety of Mary and Joseph, to feel the labor pains of God, to celebrate the birth of the world’s most renowned newborn, and to hear both the singing of angels and sobs of Rachel weeping. This gradual journey of Advent culminates when the Christ candle is lighted and the Christmas Star shines over the manger in Bethlehem.

If we dare to journey through this season one day at a time, to reconsider the promises of the prophets, and to revisit the nativity narrative of the gospels, we may discover that we are more than ready to follow Christ from the cradle to the cross and beyond.

(Barry Howard serves as the senior minister at the First Baptist Church of Pensacola, Florida.)

A Pastor’s Prayer for Parishioners

By Barry Howard

Good and gracious God,

I come to you praying for those who are members, formally or informally, in the congregation I serve.

I pray for the young and the elderly, the sick and healthy, the employed and the unemployed, the happily married and the unhappily married, the active and the semi-active, the veteran saint and the new believer, and the spiritually passionate and the spiritually frustrated.

I am aware at this moment of the diverse and divergent life experiences confronting each individual on this day.  I pray for those who are at the top of the mountain, experiencing success in their business, stability in their home, growth in their faith, good health, and/or unspeakable joy in their heart.

I also pray for those who are currently in the valley of despair, experiencing frustration in their business, anxiety in their home life, lukewarmness in their faith, mounting concerns with their health, and/or perplexing grief in their soul.

I pray for every member of this spiritual family to know the deeper purpose of congregational life, to worship and to serve with faithfulness, to listen and to speak with intentionality, to be honest and to be humble, to be reverent and to be respectful, and to weep and rejoice, privately and together, as needed.

Help us as your family to balance those ongoing tasks of reaching out to those outside our family while ministering to each other within the family, so that neither task is lacking.

Help us as your people to work energetically for the common good of your community-yet-under-construction, so that our personal ambitions and our preferential agendas do not derail or defeat your initiatives that are often invisible to the self-absorbed eye.

Help us as your church to experience an emerging momentum toward faithfulness, the elation of cheerful giving, the gratification of serving, a growing willingness to make sacrifices, and the inner peace that comes only through your divine presence within.

Help us as your children to continually and wisely realign our lives, not conforming to the mirage of pop culture, but always being transformed by the durable and timeless work of Jesus Christ. 

Keep us in tune with your Spirit who convicts and comforts, guards and guides, and equips and encourages, and who is working actively to generate good in all circumstances, especially those things that we perceive as devoid of good.

Since life in this world is imperfect and every individual life including our own falls short because of the brokenness of sin, teach us to be more gracious and less judgmental, more inclusive and less exclusive, more compassionate and less condemning, because we have already seen this kind of grace demonstrated in the story of Jesus.

In this crucial day in time when  many  have forsaken spiritual community for religious conglomerate, replaced worship with trendy entertainment, and prioritized self-interests above service, remind us that we are people of the towel, both to wash each other’s feet, to dry each other’s tears, and to wipe clean the slate of sins on earth even as you have purged our sins from our private record in heaven.

Encourage and equip us to be your hands and your feet, your light and your love, and your disciples and your servants in a world that needs authentic witnesses of your love and your mercy.

May we receive each day as a gift, and like Jesus, to value relationships above the quest for riches and the preservation of traditions, and to prioritize covenant loyalty above comfort, convenience, and temporary gratification.

As you free us to live life to the fullest, make us to be incarnate representatives of your presence and illustrative constituents of your grace, for we pray in the name of the one who came to give us life and life more abundantly.

Amen

A Pastor’s Prayer for Pastors

by Barry Howard

(This prayer was offered at the Mercer Preaching Consultation on St. Simon’s Island on September 26, 2011.)

Gracious God,

 I come to you as a pastor praying for pastors.  I pray all men and women from every walk of faith who are called into this peculiar work of encouraging and equipping others for their journey.

First I pray for pastors to be encouraged. For all its rewards, this work can be discouraging.  I pray for those pastors who are right now living through the dark night of the soul, some experiencing darkness because of the challenges of their congregation, others experiencing darkness because of emotional depression, and still others experiencing darkness because of physical or spiritual fatigue. I especially pray for those pastors who are discerning whether to go to a new place of service, and for those pastors who have confirmed the call to stay where they are to seize the opportunities and tackle the challenges.  I pray for the energy of pastors to be revitalized so that pastors can dream dreams and have visions, do their work with the right spirit.

I pray for pastors to be faithful.  I pray for pastors to live in faithful covenant to their families, both their parish family and their personal family, and to always know the difference between the two.  I pray for pastors to be faithful to our calling, always discerning and following your kingdom initiatives, and to be continually engaged in dialogue with you.

I pray for pastors to be anointed with a fresh dose of courage. These are stressful times and it is no time for your shepherds to be sheepish.  You did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of courage, so help us as pastors to speak and act courageously with moral and ethical conviction for causes that are just and right.  Help us to act with courageous conviction in living and preaching the good news to all people regardless of ethnicity, creed, or economic status.  And help us to have the courageous insight to navigate our congregations toward the ways of Christ, and away from any popular fads, trends and perceived shortcuts to growth that both trivialize the gospel and minimize the Christian experience.

I pray for pastors to have endurance.  I pray for pastors to work intentionally and intelligently, to carefully manage the demands of an unpredictable schedule, to faithfully practice Sabbath-keeping, and to respond with tough love to those occasional high maintenance saints who can become like thorns in the flesh and pains in all of the wrong places.

I pray for pastors to be effective preachers.  I pray for us to be both prophets and poets, who tell the truth and love the people.  I pray for pastors to speak with authority from on high and yet have street level savvy, so that we can simultaneously be heavenly minded and do some earthly good.  In a world filled with bad news, I pray for pastors to be articulate and welcomed voices of good news, bringing your right word at the right time.

Lord, it is an exciting, but gut-wrenching time to be a pastor.  And although faith no longer enjoys privilege and preference in the public square, we are confident that the message of faith is astoundingly relevant at the major intersections of life and that the message may be heard more profoundly in the congestion of the daily grind than from the assigned seats of privilege.

In a world where people are not content with easy answers; where truth is sometimes black, sometimes white and sometimes gray; where superficial spirituality is insufficient; and where seekers are searching for authenticity; help us as pastors to rise to the occasion to speak the truth in love, and to be more about the business of the kingdom than the kingdom of business.  Help us as pastors to find security in our belonging to you and not in the whims of the culture in which we live or the opinions of the beloved people we service.

For every pastor, and especially me, O Lord,

I pray for clarity of call and clarity of conscience.

I pray for physical health and spiritual vitality.

I pray for emotional stability and spiritual sensitivity.

Restore unto us both the joy of our salvation and the joy of ministry,

That the fire in our bones will be transformed into the energy and enthusiasm with which we serve.

In the name of the one who calls us, who encourages us, and the one who will see us through until the end.    Amen

Who Will You Invite to Church This Sunday?

By Barry Howard

A young professional said, “I got out of the habit of going to church while I was in college. I usually slept in on Sunday mornings. I’ll get started back when I get my life together.”

A single woman said, “Since my divorce, I’ve been too embarrassed to return.  I feel like a failure and I really don’t want to answer questions about my ex-husband.”

A businessman said, “My wife and I used to teach youth Sunday School. I was an active deacon and she served on a couple of committees.  But we decided to take a sabbatical from church for a while, you know, so we don’t get burned out.  We will be back someday.”  Their sabbatical was moving into its fifth year.

An engaged couple said, “We want to start after we get married.  But since we’ve moved in together already, we feel sort of strange coming to church right now.  We don’t want people to judge us.”

And the list goes on. Through the years I have learned that people disengage from church for a variety of reasons, sometimes intentionally and at other times, unintentionally.  Whatever the reason, it is not our responsibility as church members to judge them, but to lovingly welcome them and reconnect with them. 

This Sunday September 18 is National Back to Church Sunday, a multi-denominational effort to re-enlist those who have become inactive or disengaged from the life of the church. Although 83 percent of American adults identify themselves as Christians, only about 20 percent attend church on any given Sunday.

This Sunday is a great time to invite friends and neighbors who have become disconnected from their church family to come to church with you. A 2008 study by LifeWay Research and the North American Mission Board of 15,000 adults found that 67 percent of Americans say a personal invitation from a family member would be effective in getting them to visit a church. Sixty-three percent say an invitation from a friend or neighbor would likely get them to respond.

While there are many seekers who float from church to church to hear popular preachers and trendy Christian music, there are thousands of non-churchgoers who long to connect or reconnect with a caring spiritual community, a church that accepts them as they are and challenges them toward a journey of growth and discovery. Isn’t that how Jesus related to his early followers? 

A personal invitation from you can open the door for someone who is disconnected to become an engaged participant.  Who can you invite to come to church with you this Sunday?

(Watch video at http://www.fbcp.org/Uploaded/11-Summer-Video.swf )

(Barry Howard serves as senior minister at the First Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida.)

A Day That Haunts, A Faith That Hopes

A Pastoral Prayer for September 11, 2011

On this tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001

We gather to remember an atrocious day, a day that we wish we could forget.

O God we confess our ongoing need of your transformative and emerging grace

For we are all too mindful that this date still haunts us

With memories that strike fear

And with emotions that convey pain.

As we attempt to apply your words to life,  

And to live by faith as we embrace your promise of a better future

We confess that our anger and grief from that fretful day are not nearly resolved.

            And that retaliatory impulses of vengeance and hate incubate deep within.

And yet we acknowledge that our hurt does not compare to the pain

of those who were touched more directly

through the unexpected and unfair loss

of family members, friends, and co-workers.

We shudder at the memory of horrific images of death and destruction,

We worry over the ongoing armed conflict that seems to be unending,

We grieve over the deaths of the sons and daughters of our nation,

   As well as the subsequent casualties among our allies and our adversaries.

And we long for a civilized and lasting resolution

   So that our sons and daughters may return home safely and soon

   And that those who have longed for liberation from tyranny

            Might govern and be governed with dignity and integrity.

Rather than being consumed by our grief,

            And controlled by our fears

And constrained by our anxieties,

    Let us set our minds to addressing the injustices that precipitate hostility,

    Let us direct our souls to living out our moral conviction,

    Let us turn our hearts to loving the poor,

and the disadvantaged,

and the disenfranchised.

    And let us determine to fight terror,

            Not with our own terroristic threats,

       But with a responsible and courageous exercise of freedom,

            And with a proactive and authentic faith.

 And though it runs counter to our deepest instincts,

You continue to teach us to love our enemies,

so that we do not become like them.

Today, especially today, we pray for the leaders of our nation and our world

            For the leaders of our state and our community

  To act and react with wisdom and discernment,

And to maintain a disposition that will defuse conflict

And advance the cause of peace.

And we pray for the leaders of our churches and synagogues

            And for people of diverse faiths

  To act and react with transformative grace and eternal hope,

           And to maintain a disposition that will dispel propaganda

            And advance the cause of truth and compassion.

We offer our prayer in the strong name of the One who came to bring peace on earth and goodwill to all humankind.  Amen

A Unique Vocation: The Calling to Be a Pastor

I have been reading several good books this summer but one has inspired me to re-think and re-affirm my calling. The Pastor: A Memoir by Eugene Peterson is an inspiring autobiographical account of what it means to be called to pastoral ministry and to live out that vocation in a unique community.

While Peterson is known to many primarily for his popular Bible translation called The Message, for me his greatest contribution has been his writings about pastoral work. Years ago I read three of Peterson’s books about pastoral ministry: Five Smooth Stones of Pastoral Work, The Contemplative Pastor, and Under the Unpredictable Plant. In a church world that looks to the pastor to be the CEO, a chaplain-on-demand, or an ecclesial entrepreneur, Peterson reminds ministers and churches that a pastor is more like a spiritual director, a “soul friend” who walks alongside others pointing out what God is doing in their life.

In a fast paced world, where a competitive consumerist culture has invaded the church, pastors are often expected to be an idealistic combination of captivating motivational speaker, savvy executive/administrator, and extraordinary counselor. But the call to be a pastor is unique. There is no other vocation like it.

The call to be a pastor is unique because the nature of the church is unique. Veteran pastor Hardy Clemons reminds us that the church is to be “more family than corporation.” Clemons reminds pastors and churches of their peculiar mission:

Our goal is to minister: it is not to show a profit, amass a larger financial corpus or grow bigger for our own security. The ultimate goals are to accept God’s grace, share the good news, invite and equip disciples, and foster liberty and justice for all.
While serving as a pastor involves skills and responsibilities that are similar to other career paths, being a pastor is a vocation like no other. Although ministers and laity alike will be tempted to compare the role of the pastor to executive roles in the marketplace, the call to be a pastor is distinctive. Peterson stresses that a call to pastoral ministry is a call to spiritual discernment and caring within a particular local congregation and community. It is not a “one size fits all” occupation that functions uniformly in cookie cutter churches.

In Peterson’s Memoir, he summarizes his understanding of the biblical role of a pastor:

The pastor is “not someone who ‘gets things done’ but rather the person placed in the community to pay attention and call attention to ‘what is going on right now’ between men and women, with one another and with God—this kingdom of God that is primarily local, relentlessly personal, and prayerful ‘without ceasing.’
Each one of us is responsible to God for fulfilling our calling in life. Thirty-five years ago I confirmed my calling to be a pastor, and I am still learning and growing and understanding more of what it means to provide spiritual direction to a congregation.

While the call to be a pastor is neither a superior calling nor an elite calling, it is an important calling. For me, being a pastor is more than what I do. It is who I am called to be. It is more than a job. Being a pastor is the life I am called to live, a life that connects with all kinds of people in all kinds of circumstances at the most crucial junctures between birth and death. And that is a calling unlike any other.

A Prayer for Independence Day 2011

God of all grace and mercy, as we celebrate our nation’s Independence Day, we are beaming with gratitude.

We are thankful for the privilege of living in “the land of the free and the home of the brave.” We are grateful for unequaled liberties that allow us to freely make choices about our work, our worship, our ideology, and lifestyle. We are indebted to past and present veterans who risked life and limb in the pursuit and protection of these liberties.

From the “mountains to the prairies” we are inspired by some of the most spectacular and diverse landscapes on our planet. From “sea to shining sea” we are privileged to draw from a treasure trove of the world’s natural resources. We have access to comfortable housing, the best in healthcare, a more than adequate wardrobe, and an abundance of favorite foods. We are blessed far beyond our deserving.

During this season of celebration we are grateful, yet concerned….concerned about our nation, concerned about our world, and concerned about the future.

From our many different perspectives and ideologies we are concerned about things like the threats of terrorism, the brutalities of war, the abuse of political power, the divisiveness of harsh and misleading political rhetoric, a lack of civil discourse, a growing sense of moral anarchy, and the possibility of an approaching storm or natural disaster. These concerns lead to heightened anxiety about the stability of our economy, the tenure of our employment, and the cost of our insurance.

And we confess that these anxieties often divert us from our mission to “minister to the least of these,” and to “love mercy, act justly, and walk humbly” with you.

These concerns and anxieties also remind us of our need to confess our sins, personally and corporately. We confess that we have too often taken our freedom for granted and we have too frequently been slack in living up to the responsibilities of our citizenship. We confess that at times we are too quick to judge and quicker to criticize. We confess that we are slow to intercede and slower to trust in your sovereignty.

We confess that our self-interests have too often taken priority over the best interest you have in mind for our nation and for our world. We confess that we have been irresponsible in our stewardship of “our space and our stuff,” often consuming and storing compulsively without conscious regard for sharing. We confess that we have too often trusted in our own initiatives and ingenuity more than we have trusted in you.

You tell us in time-tested scripture that, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (II Chronicles 7:14)

As we approach this Independence Day, we ask you to forgive our sin and to heal our land.

On this day, we pray for the leaders of our nation, our state, and our community that they will lead with wisdom and courage.

We pray for the men and women who serve in our military that they will fulfill their humanitarian mission and return home safely and soon.

We pray for our enemies that their swords will also be “turned into plowshares,” even as we long for that day when the “lion will lie down alongside the lamb.”

We pray for the churches, cathedrals, and temples of our community and our world that they will be lighthouses of grace and peace, ever pressing toward the mark of our high calling.

Because you are the freedom-loving God, lead us to exercise our freedom responsibly and to pursue “liberty and justice for all” people around the globe.

We pray in the strong name of the One who came to set us free. Amen.

Celebrate Religious Liberty: Exercise the Freedom to Worship

Fourth of July weekend is approaching. Where will you be this Sunday morning?

While many of us have appropriate plans in place this weekend to celebrate our nation’s independence with picnics, barbeques, ice cream, and fireworks, one of the most fitting ways to celebrate is to exercise our freedom to worship.

Our Baptists ancestors were among the many who contended for religious liberty for all faiths. The first amendment to the Constitution of the United States confirms that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

As citizens of these United States, we enjoy greater freedoms than any nation on earth, but with great freedom comes great responsibility.

In light of our religious liberty, let us pray fervently for those who live in regions of the world that are subject to harsh religious persecution. As we freely choose where and when to worship, let us remember our brothers and sisters who will gather anxiously but faithfully in underground churches, taking risks unfamiliar to most of us, in order to worship God and gather with their fellow believers.

From my perspective, joining regularly with other believers to worship nurtures spiritual growth, fosters moral character, and encourages humanitarian service. Hebrews 10:25 reminds us, “Some people have gotten out of the habit of meeting for worship, but we must not do that. We should keep on encouraging each other, especially since you know that the day of the Lord's coming is getting closer.” (CEV)

For believers to neglect the opportunity to gather for worship and Bible study is to trivialize the tremendous price paid for our freedom to assemble without fear of reprisal or repercussion. Perhaps the worst expression of historical amnesia is the tendency to take freedom for granted.

I think we best celebrate and preserve our freedom by exercising our freedom. This weekend is a time to celebrate our many freedoms. Whether you are at home or traveling, I hope you are making plans for a fun day of celebration with family and friends. I hope you will take time to give thanks for our great heritage and to pray for our nation’s leaders and country’s future. Most importantly, I hope you will celebrate by exercising your freedom to worship.

Be Informed About Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is difficult to diagnose and the number of people who are afflicted is growing. Each year I talk with multiple families in our community who are affected by Alzheimer’s.

A few years ago, it struck home for my family when my grandmother was diagnosed with the disease. The symptoms were there long before the diagnosis was confirmed. We wrongly assumed that the symptoms were merely normal signs of aging, or the acceleration of basic dementia.

Staying informed with accurate and up-to-date information is important. Families who are well-informed about Alzheimer’s are better prepared to recognize and respond to someone who is experiencing the disease.

Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain, is the most common form of dementia. In 1906 Dr. Alois Alzheimer, a German physician, first called attention to this condition.

The Alzheimer’s Association offers the following statistical data on the disease:

• Approximately 5.4 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease.

• Unless a cure or prevention is found, that number will increase to between 11 and 16 million by 2050.

• One in 10 persons over age 65, and nearly half of those over 85 have Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease can occur in people in their 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s.

• A person with Alzheimer’s disease will live an average of 80 years, and as many as 20 years or more from the onset of symptoms.

• Depression is found in 20 percent of persons with Alzheimer’s disease, and in up to 50 percent of Alzheimer caregivers.

Although there is no single test to identify Alzheimer’s, a probable diagnosis may be made after a comprehensive evaluation that includes a complete health history, a physical and neurological examination, and a mental status assessment, as well as observation of symptoms and behavior.

At the present time, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Progress of the disease cannot be stopped or reversed. However, intervention strategies and appropriate medication may be effective in lessening symptoms, and hopefully allowing for continued participation in many activities.

A person with Alzheimer’s disease may not be identified based on appearance alone. Persons with Alzheimer’s may maintain their social skills or behave normally in familiar settings. Many individuals with Alzheimer’s are conversant, articulate, and physically fit. Some may even hide or deny their symptoms. Symptoms and behaviors vary because the disease progresses at different rates in each individual.

Usually a person with Alzheimer’s disease displays some of the following symptoms:

• Poor or decreased judgement

• Frequent, short-term memory loss

• Difficulty performing familiar tasks

• Problems with language

• Disorientation as to time and place

• Problems with abstract thinking

• Problems misplacing things

• Wandering

• Sudden mood changes

• Loss of initiative


At some point, Alzheimer’s will affect every family and every congregation. Learn all that you can about the disease now, so that your response will be informed and caring. For more information, visit the web site of the Alzheimer’s Association at http://www.alz.org.

A Time to Remember and Never Ever Forget

The last Monday in May is a unique holiday. Memorial Day does not generate as much holiday enthusiasm as Christmas, Easter, or Independence Day, perhaps because it is more an observance than a celebration. This important holiday is not just another “day off” but a day to remember those who have lost their lives in the military service of our country. This is a day to remember those who, according to Henry Ward Beecher, “hover as a cloud of witnesses above this Nation.”
In a culture that is increasingly attention-deficient, remembering is a painful but necessary discipline. Remembering historical facts should help us to remain consciously aware of the harsh realities of global conflict. Revisiting stories from the battlefield may enable us to learn from both the successes and the failures of our national ancestry. When we remember the fallen we keep alive the individual and corporate legacies of valor and courage that inspire and challenge us to be responsible citizens of the free world.

To fail to remember is to develop a convenient amnesia that eventually robs succeeding generations of acquaintance with our national heritage. To fail to remember creates a contagious apathy that leads to a neglect of both our freedom and our citizenship. To fail to remember can produce a false sense of protection and a perceived exemption from future warfare. A loss of memory eventually leads to a loss of national identity. Remembering is a painful but necessary discipline, a discipline that forges vision from memory, and a discipline that extracts wisdom from knowledge.

In The Roadmender Margaret Fairless Barber suggests that “To look backward for a while is to refresh the eye, to restore it, and to render it the more fit for its prime function of looking forward.”

This year take time to observe Memorial Day…A day to remember the past with gratitude and to look to the future with hope and faith.

Dr. James Pleitz: A Pastor's Best Friend

Dr. James Pleitz departed for his eternal home on Sunday evening. He was ready to go and looking forward to the trip. Dr. Pleitz told me that over and over again. I told our congregation last Sunday morning that Dr. Pleitz was "sitting on the launching pad awaiting liftoff." The launch sequence reached zero shortly before 8 o'clock.

While we have no doubt about his destination, he will be missed. In addition to serving as a legendary pastor at both First Baptist Church of Pensacola and Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas, Dr. Pleitz spent his final years as our Pastor Emeritus. He fulfilled the responsibilities of that role more effectively than any emeritus pastor I know.

"Pastor Emeritus" is an honorary title given by a congregation to honor their founding or long-time pastor. It means, "We know you are retired, but we still look to you as a senior shepherd." With that honorary title comes an extremely important job description, which includes encouraging the congregation, supporting the current pastor, and utilizing his or her influence to advance the ministry of the church.

A few of my pastoral colleagues around the country have had the misfortunate experience of serving alongside rogue emeriti....that is, emeritus pastors with control issues, inflated egos, or a bad case of "retired preacher syndrome."

Dr. James Pleitz could have written the book on how to be an effective and influential emeritus pastor. He encouraged the congregation in every way imaginable, even giving me words of encouragement to share with them during his final days. He was my number one encourager, always sending me handwritten notes and placing well timed phone calls to inquire about my family or to ask how my week was going.  He would often stop by my office unannounced....request a cup of coffee...one cream, two sugars...and once the door was closed, he would say, "I just wanted to come by and pray for my pastor." He would lay his hand on my shoulder and pray in way that would lift my soul heavenward and fortify my confidence for the day. He will be missed.

And he was an ambassador for the kingdom. He knew how to work a room by learning names and listening to stories. One of our associate ministers said, "Dr. Pleitz had a way of making you feel like you were the most important person in his life at the moment he was speaking to you."

Although there is a great reunion occuring this week in the heavenly realm, there is a great hole in the heart of First Baptist Church of Pensacola and their pastor because our pastor emeritus is no longer with us. His presence will be missed but his influence will be felt for generations to come.

And I hope that other retiring pastors around the country will learn from Pleitz' example of how to be a great Pastor Emeritus, and how to be the new pastor's best friend.

The Church That Became a Submarine

(Several years ago, in warning the First Baptist Church, Pensacola, Florida, not to turn into "a submarine," Pastor James L. Pleitz gave this submersible parable.)

Once upon a time in the twentieth century there was a church that became a submarine. It wasn't as difficult as it might seem. One day it just shut the hatch on the outside world and submerged into its own sea. Occasionally it ran up the periscope to see where it was going.


Once the captain got a real vision through his periscope and when he demanded that they get back to the surface and fast, the crew quickly developed the bends and the sub stayed down.


While submerged there was a lot for the crew to do. In fact they were kept on alert and asked to make maximum efforts. They tinkered with the machinery constantly. They overhauled their kitchen. They inventoried their ammunition at least once a week but they never used it. They paid salaries to the officers and went through endless drills occasionally interrupted by prayers that no depth charge would disturb their isolation. The air got stale too, so did the routine, but they put up with it because the alternatives were too demanding. Several committees even decided the stale air was good for them.


One of the members who had sneaked a look through the periscope suggested a change in course and the giving away of their surplus supplies. He was immediately eliminated for mutiny.


The last entry in the captain's log book read, 'Have probably set a new record for being submerged and maintaining predetermined course. See no reason why we should change directions. Crew continues to give maximum effort. We did sight an enemy and appointed three committee members to study the situation."

(Dr. James Pleitz is the beloved pastor emeritus of First Baptist Church, Pensacola, Florida)

Lessons from the Palm Sunday Tornado

On Palm Sunday in 1994 a tornado touched down near Ragland, Alabama and cut a trail to Rome, Georgia, demolishing hundreds of homes, destroying five church campuses, and taking 29 lives before leaving that area.




The unthinkable happened on the first day of Holy Week. Entire communities were in disarray. I lived in one of those communities hit hard by the storm. My home was one of those damaged by the storm. The church I served became a Disaster Relief Center. And we learned a lot of lessons.



The Williams Community is a rural settlement located about five miles northeast of the city limits of Jacksonville, Alabama. It’s a place where the church is still the center of community life and it boasts a general store where you can buy your overalls and work boots just a few aisles over from the sweet milk. The Williams Community began as a settlement of farmers and educators, and those influences are dominant to this day. With its picturesque pastoral landscape and its Mayberry-like hospitality, it would have been an appropriate setting for Norman Rockwell masterpieces had Rockwell lived in the south.



On March 27, 1994, church services ended at 11:00 a.m. Following services many families who would normally have eaten Sunday dinner at home had gone to a restaurant in town or to visit relatives on Palm Sunday. At 11:24 a massive barrel cloud tumbled over the horizon from Webster’s Chapel into the Williams Community steamrolling homes and carving a path that looked liked a clearing for a new highway. In the Williams Community lives were spared…some miraculously. In fact, one family who had taken shelter in a small bathroom, fell from their air-born home into a lake just seconds before remnants of the home slammed into a hillside.



But just up the road a piece a different story was unfolding. At 11:39, the F-4 tornado slammed the Goshen United Methodist Church while worship was in session collapsing the roof and taking 20 lives, mostly children.



Throughout that fateful afternoon, as emergency workers were scrambling to respond to calls and as local residents were digging out their neighbors, another wave of storms dumped several inches of rain on the area further hampering rescue and recovery efforts. When Monday dawned, residents were faced with a haunting reality. Life would never be the same. But for most, at least, life would continue.



Following that tornado, our community learned a lot about patience and perseverance. We learned a lot about grace and hope. We learned the importance of looking forward and not backward. We learned that our dreams trumped our nightmares. We learned a lot about faith and life.



Here are five of the crucial lessons our community learned after the Palm Sunday Tornado that helped us to move forward:



1. We learned that you have to grieve quickly, then get to work. Once the initial shock of the devastation has been absorbed, it's time to channel all of your energy to re-building and moving forward. Despite the grief over things lost, there is a unique kind of joy that arises when you begin dreaming of the new things you can build...together. And interestingly, the work of re-building had a healing effect.



2. We learned emphatically that God doesn’t exempt folks from tragedy just because they have faith. I remember someone asking me, “Pastor, why do you think God let that tornado hit five churches on Sunday morning?” Since I can’t imagine God sitting in heaven and pushing a “Create Tornado” button, then hitting “Send” to a specific address, I remember responding, “Try drawing a line 55 miles in any direction on an Alabama map without hitting at least five churches.” The Bible says something like “it rains on the just and the unjust.” Since most churches are comprised of some combination of just and unjust people, I take that to mean that there is no place or people group who are given a free pass from natural disasters.



3. We learned that when the going gets tough, people of faith mobilize and work together cooperatively. After the Palm Sunday Tornado, the First Baptist Church in the Williams Community served as a Red Cross Relief Center. We partnered with the Cherokee Electric Cooperative, Bellsouth, and FEMA, and each of them did admirable work, eventually. But we also hosted Builders for Christ, Campers on Mission, Mennonite Response Teams, Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief Teams, and a Latter-Day Saints Team. The volunteers from churches and faith-based groups organized quickly and went to work, while the professional and government groups were slowed by paperwork and red tape restrictions. I distinctly remember many of the professional workers who partnered with us telling me how they admired the work ethic, the productivity, and the cooperative spirit of the volunteer teams from churches and faith-based organizations.



4. All kinds of talents and skill levels are needed. We were fortunate to have a huge corps of skilled personnel who managed chain saws, dozers, cranes, and front-end loaders. However, we also needed folks to cook food, drive trucks, pick up debris, run errands, care for children, visit the elderly, sweep the floor, manage communications, and do household cleaning. In disaster relief, every job is important and every volunteer has something to offer. Never underestimate the importance of doing all the good you can, where you can, when you can.



5. Relief work builds community. We learned that remarkable bonding occurs in the field. The sense of community born among those who work together following a storm forges a spiritual kinship that lasts for a lifetime... or longer.



Seventeen years later, another wave of tornadoes has wreaked havoc across the state of Alabama, storms even more powerful and more destructive and more fatal than the tornado that struck on March 27. And one of these post-Easter tornadoes followed a similar path as the Palm Sunday storm of 1994 hitting Webster’s Chapel, the Williams Community, and Goshen.



People there are hurting, even grieving over the loss of life and the destruction of property. But those good rural people are not just weathered storm veterans. Like so many Alabamians, they are a determined, hard-working, and faith-filled people who do not back down from a challenge. They are already drying their tears, rolling up their sleeves, and getting ready to repair and rebuild, because there are some things deep inside that the strongest storm cannot destroy.

A message from the pastor…

Overnight and today we are watching the horrific video footage following the devastating storms that trampled many communities in Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia yesterday. Many of us have been busy contacting friends and family members to check on their safety. Others of us have already learned of friends who lost homes, businesses, and loved ones.



At our house, in addition to thinking about our many friends who were affected in Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, and Cullman, Amanda and I are grieving over the destruction inflicted on the Williams Community, our former place of service, where at least two lives were taken and multiple homes were destroyed when one storm followed a similar path to the Palm Sunday tornado of 1994.



Our First Baptist Family is no stranger to storms. As veteran survivors of successive storms in recent years, we can identify with the grief, the loss, and the monumental challenges facing our neighboring states in the days ahead. Today I am calling on our First Baptist Family to respond in the following ways:



PRAY! Pray for those who are hurting and grieving. Homes can be rebuilt, but loved ones cannot be replaced. We serve a God who is "our refuge and strength, a very present help in our time of trouble." Pray for those whose lives were turned upside down to discover renewed hope in the aftermath of the storm, and pray for relief and recovery workers to labor with cooperation and perseverance.



GIVE! Consider giving a generous financial gift to assist with rebuilding following this disaster. Make your check to FBC Pensacola and designate it Disaster Relief. All gifts given through FBCP will be channeled through our existing mission partners in Alabama.



GO! In the days ahead, we will be assembling teams to assist with the relief work in Alabama. Today we are working with leaders in Alabama to assess the needs. We know that this will be a lengthy clean-up and rebuilding effort, much like the aftermath of Katrina. Our hope is to target a specific area for partnership. Stay tuned for opportunities to participate on a Disaster Relief Team in the weeks ahead.


I am honored to serve a loving, praying, and caring church family.


With continuing prayers for our neighbors,

Barry

A Meditation on Friendship

by Barry Howard

A man that has friends must first show himself friendly; and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24


The wisdom writer pre-supposes that for most of life, human beings are going to be engaged in dynamic human relationships. In a highly competitive world where individuals are dominated by self-interest, how do you keep relationships healthy and growing? Sustainable friendship is a gift from God.

What is a friend? One writer answered this way: Friends are people with whom you dare to be yourself. Your soul can be naked with them. They ask you to put on nothing, only to be what you are. They do not want you to be better or worse. When you are with them, you feel as a prisoner feels who has been declared innocent. You do not have to be on your guard. You can say what you think, as long as it is genuinely you. Friends understand those contradictions in your nature that lead others to misjudge you. With them you breathe freely. You can avow your little vanities and envies and hates and vicious sparks, your meannesses and absurdities, and in opening them up to friends, they are lost, dissolved on the white ocean of their loyalty. They understand. You do not have to be careful. You can abuse them, neglect them, tolerate them. Best of all, you can keep still with them. It makes no matter. They like you. They are like fire that purges to the bone. They understand. You can weep with them, sing with them, laugh with them, pray with them. Through it all--and underneath--they see, know, and love you. A friend? What is a friend? Just one, I repeat, with whom you dare to be yourself.

Churches are built on both faith and friendship. Members of a congregation are actually diverse friends from a variety of backgrounds who stick together in tough times, who bring out the best in each other, and who collaborate in missional effort, despite their differences, out of obedience to a common faith conviction.

Maybe, the Quakers have it right in referring to their faith community as “The Society of Friends.”

During these days of learning to bring out the best in others, treasure the friendships you have, and look forward to making new friends in the days ahead. Robert Louis Stevenson once wrote, “So long as we are loved by others, I would almost say that we are indispensable; and no man is useless while he has a friend.”

Maintaining a good friendship requires grace, mercy, patience, and perseverance. E.C. McKenzie observed that “some people make enemies instead of friends because it is less trouble.” I contend that true friendship is worth the labor.

(Barry Howard serves as senior minister of the First Baptist Church of Pensacola.)

Holy Week: Feel the Passion!

By Barry Howard


Next week is called Holy Week, not because we are to “act” holy, but because it is a most appropriate week for us to re-visit the passion of Christ. Around the globe, Christ-followers and other inquirers will be reflecting on the events leading up to the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. What is the significance of Holy Week and how can I probe its deeper meaning?

Our tradition of observing Holy Week seems to have originated in the East, emerging out of the practice of pilgrimages to Jerusalem. Each day of Holy Week is significant. For those of us whose faith was shaped in a Baptist tradition, at least four days call for guided reflection. Palm Sunday is a day to revisit the royal welcome extended to Jesus by the curious crowd as he entered Jerusalem. On Maundy Thursday believers recall the occasion when Jesus washed the feet of the disciples as he gave them a new mandate to love and serve. On Maundy Thursday evening, many faith communities re-enact “the last supper” when Jesus broke bread and shared the cup with his disciples by receiving the elements of communion. Good Friday is an occasion to feel the passion of Christ and to think on the enormity of his suffering. And Resurrection Sunday, or Easter, is a festive day to celebrate and proclaim that “Christ is risen; Christ is risen indeed!”

Because of the sequential significance of these events, Holy Week is best approached slowly, with an attitude of reverent exploration, a spiritual mood of sacred awe. In Weldon Gaddy’s book, The Gift of Worship, he describes our opportunity to engage in a more meaningful experience of the passion of Christ: “Holy Week services bring into focus dimensions of discipleship that are missed completely by a simple leap from Palm Sunday to Easter. Worship services which take seriously the truths of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday please God because they challenge a greater commitment and a more effective ministry among the people of God.”


This year as you begin your spiritual journey through Holy Week, open your senses and your imagination to both the tragedy and the triumph of this pivotal week in history. Take time to listen to the voices of the crowd as Jesus enters the city. Hear again the teachings of Jesus and contemplate his days in Jerusalem. Feel the water touch your feet, taste the morsel of bread on your tongue and the sip of wine rolling over your lips. Sense the disgust of his betrayal by a friend. Smell the stench of the scourge and hear the mocking sarcasm of the trial. Grieve over the cruel injustice of his execution and experience the passion of his incomprehensible suffering. And ultimately…consider the mysterious power of the resurrection and the hope generated by the notion that life invested in Christ cannot be extinguished, even by the reality of death.


The events of Holy Week invite and motivate us to follow Jesus, not out of religious obligation or fear of eternal damnation, but because we identify with his teaching and his vision, and we discover a sense of belonging in his cause and his kingdom. A slow and deliberate journey through Holy Week may re-energize your faith and inspire you to live and serve with passion.


The word “holy” means “belonging to a divine power” or “dedicated to God.” On second thought, maybe Holy Week is a week for us to “act” in a way that is holy.


(Barry Howard serves as senior pastor of the First Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida.)

Do You Remember Your Baptism?

“I was saved on June 26, 1975 at 1:30 a.m. at the Colonial Apartments on Laguna Beach near Panama City, Florida… I was baptized on July 6, 1975 with Mark Smith, Brandon Smith and Mike Tiller by Rev. Tommy Reaves at the creek behind Donald Lloyd’s house.” These are the words I wrote as a fifteen year old in the front of my KJV Scofield Reference Bible, Red Letter Edition.

After making my commitment to Christ and being baptized, my grandmother encouraged me to write the date of those significant events in the front of my Bible so I would never forget them.

Baptism in that cold country creek was a significant moment recorded in my Bible and my soul with permanent ink. Popular preacher and author Max Lucado says that “Baptism separates the tire kickers from the car buyers.” In other words, when you are baptized, you are no longer content to hide in the crowd of spectators applauding Jesus. Rather, you “buy in” to what it means to be a full-fledged follower of Jesus.

Brian McLaren proposes that “Baptism is rich in meaning. It suggests cleansing. When you are a disciple, you understand that you are cleansed by Christ. You understand that Christ died in your place on the cross, paying for your sins, fully forgiving you for all your wrongs. You are cleansed from guilt, and you are becoming a cleaner, healthier, more whole person.”

I don’t believe that everyone has to remember the time, date, and location of their conversion and baptism to be considered a genuine Christian, but for me, remembering my baptism has helped me to confirm and reaffirm my faith during some pretty tough times. There’s an old gospel song that says, “I can tell you the time, I can show you the place, where the Lord saved me by his wonderful grace.”

Do you remember your baptism? As followers of Jesus who learn and live out Christ’s teaching in a Baptist community of faith, being baptized is pretty important…not so much to “seal the deal” but to confirm and launch us into a life of grace and growth. Baptism becomes a vital part of our life’s story…a part of the story to be remembered, treasured, and lived forward.


(Barry Howard serves as senior minister at the First Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida.)

Before You Cross the Finish Line

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." II Timothy 4:7 NIV

The first time I heard this oft-told story, it was rendered by Wayne Grubbs, pastor at Lakeview Baptist Church in Oxford, Alabama. The story goes something like this: Near the end of the sermon about heaven, the pastor said to the congregation, “How many of you want to go heaven?” Everyone in the church raised their hand except for one little boy on the front row. The pastor turned toward the boy and asked, “Son, don’t you want to go to heaven?” And the little boy replied, “Yes sir! When I die. But I thought you were getting’ up a trip right now.”

Maybe some of us feel like we are getting ready for this trip in the near future, but most of us are probably under the illusion that the end is a long ways away. No matter our age, we need to be ready to cross the finish line by keeping the faith. 

What are the things you want to accomplish before crossing the finish line? I recently celebrated my 51st birthday. Coincidentally, on my birthday, I shared a eulogy for one of our beloved senior saints who went home to be with the Lord. To my knowledge, this is the first time I have conducted a funeral on my birthday. The strange juxtaposition of these two events, birthday and funeral, inspired me to think a little more seriously about my own “kingdom bucket list.” What are the things God wants to do through my life between now and the time I cross the finish line?

Thomas Jefferson wisely said, “Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.” How would life be different if you transformed your good intentions into actions? I think we all have a few things we need to accomplish before we cross the finish line. What kinds of things do you need to do?

• Go where you need to go: Go on that mission trip. Take that vacation. Visit that long-time friend.

• Do what needs to be done: Get acquainted with your neighbor. Volunteer for that service project. Share your faith with a colleague or classmate.

• Say what needs to be said: Tell your family members that you love them. Share that memorable story with your children or your grandchildren. Forgive the one who has offended you.

• Give what needs to be given: Honor the Lord with all of your resources and give a first portion to the work of your local church. Pass along that family heirloom to the next generation. Invest in the future by leaving a legacy gift to an important ministry project or a cause that will keep on giving long after you are gone.

• Plan what needs to be planned: Develop your exit strategy. Have your paperwork (advanced directive, will, life insurance, power of attorney, etc) in good order. Leave behind your memorial wishes with your family.

James reminds us that life is “a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (4:14 NKJV). Since life is unpredictable and life on this earth will end for every one of us one day, I am convinced that the best way to prepare for death is to live life to the maximum. For me, that means, in addition to trusting Christ as my Savior, I am privileged to follow Christ every step of the journey…. serving, growing, and doing what needs to be done, until I cross the finish line.

I hope to celebrate a lot more birthdays. But someday someone will share a eulogy for me. Since I don’t know when that day will come, I want to make everyday count, because I have a lot of living to do before I cross the finish line.

(Barry Howard serves as senior minister of the First Baptist Church of Pensacola.)

Words Really Do Matter

Since childhood I have observed that folks who attend church regularly tend to use a "normal" vocabulary throughout the week, but when we step foot on our church campus or attend a church function, we often resort to a specialized repertoire of words that are not easily understood by those outside the community of faith.  Because it seems abnormal to me for a person to utilize one vocabulary at work and leisure, and revert to another when in the presence of your church friends or minister, I have quietly loathed all varieties of hyper-spiritual dialects.  Across time I confess that I have cynically identified and labeled a few of those more frequently heard church dialects as "King James jargon," "lingo of Zion," "ecclesial English," and "pious pontification." 


Recently I came across an old clipping that identifies one of these more frequently employed dialects as Christianese:


Christianese is a language used in the Christian subculture and understood easily only by other practicing Christians. As Christian communicators it's important to avoid words in our writing that could be misunderstood or fail to communicate — terms that have meaning only in the Christian subculture.


As a public service, here are some common phrases used in the church, along with their English-language equivalents:


Christianese: "If it be God's will."
Translation: "I really don't think God is going to answer this one.


Christianese: "Let's have a word of prayer."
Translation: "I am going to pray for a long, long, long time."


Christianese: "That's not my spiritual gift."
Translation: "Find someone else."


Christianese: "Fellowship"
Translation: "Organized gluttony."


Christianese: "The Lord works in mysterious ways."
Translation: "I'm totally clueless."


Christianese: "Lord willing . . ."
Translation: "You may think I'll be there, but I won't."


Christianese: "I don't feel led."
Translation: "Can't make me."


Christianese: "God led me to do something else."
Translation: I slept in instead of going to church.


Christianese: "God really helped me with this test."
Translation: "I didn't study but I guessed good, so I'm giving God credit in the hope that He helps me again."


Christianese: "She has such a sweet spirit!"
Translation: "What an airhead!"


Christianese: "I have a 'check' in my spirit about him."
Translation: "I can't stand that jerk!"


Christianese: "I'll be praying for you."
Translation: "There's an outside chance I'll remember this conversation later today."


Christianese: "Prayer concerns"
Translation: "Gossip"


Christianese: "In conclusion . . . "
Translation: "I'll be done in another hour or so."


Christianese: "Let us pray"
Translation: "I'm going to pretend to talk to God now, but I'm really preaching at you."


Christianese: "You just have to put it in God's hands."
Translation: "Don't expect me to help you."


Christianese: "God wants to prosper you!"
Translation: "Give me all your money." (Author Unknown)


My point is that words really do matter.  The New Testament was originally written in Koine Greek, the everyday language of ordinary people, which says to me that the greatest news in the world can be communicated without a specialized religious vocabulary.


The wisdom writer reminds us that, "A person finds joy in giving an apt reply— and how good is a timely word!" (Proverbs 15:23 NIV). This year, a part of my quest to be a better Christian and a more effective pastor, is to learn to be a better steward of my words and to be authentic in conversation.  And, of course, to avoid reverting to Christianese. "Carest thou to joineth me?"