Senior Moment

No I did not have a "Senior moment"...a phrase used by senior citizens meaning they can't remember something...but I had a moment with the Senior Adults of my church today that truly marked me. I was asked, on short notice, to speak at a weekly Senior Adult Prayer and Bible Study held here at our church. The Bible Study was today, and I was asked if I could speak yesterday afternoon. I guess us preachers gotta be ready any moment to bring it....anyway...before going to speak the Senior Adult Director called my office and said that there was one man that would be there that really knows his Scripture and may interrupt and want to call me on stuff if he didn't agree...just the words you want to hear right before you go speak...well it went good and I did not get any interruption. As a matter of fact after speaking they asked me to stay and all of the Senior Adults gathered around me as I knelt and they laid hands on me and prayed for me, my family, and my ministry. The first one to gather around me, and the first one to pray, was the gentlemen who I was warned about. It was a sweet moment. I love the Senior Adults. One sweet lady with tears in her eyes through her arms around me and said to me, "God is going to use you...oh He is going to use you to reach this young generation...oh bless you..." That was worth the trip to the Senior Adult Bible Study. I thank God that He allowed me to be there today. Thank God for those Senior Adults who love Jesus, and encouraged this young preacher...what a moment...a God moment...a Senior moment!

Hollywood Hard Rock Hotel

As I was leaving Hollywood, FL on Saturday we passed by the infamous Hollywood Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. This has been made extremely famous in recent days because, in case you have just awaken from a long slumber, it is where Anna Nicole Smith died of an apparent overdose of drugs. It was crazy to drive by and see with my eyes what has been such a media spectacle for the past several weeks. As I drove by I could not help but think of how Anna Nicole died right there just a few weeks ago. A woman who possessed every material possession this world could ever offer, had gained such fame (even if it was for taking off her clothes), and had more money than she could spend in a thousand lifetimes and yet was so miserable that she had to escape reality through numerous sordid relationships and drugs. It seems as though she searched and searched for something to satisfy her and only came up short...and thus did her life. Still fairly young, and probably plenty more she could offer in life if she had only known what life really was. In Mark 1 there is a compelling story of a man with a serious skin disease who comes to Jesus and says, "If you are willing, You can make me clean." The Scriptures say that Jesus was moved with compassion and said, "I am willing, be made clean." As I drove by the Hollywood Hard Rock Hotel, just a few miles from the church we had been at for the weekend, I thought about that Scripture. If only Anna had known she could come to Jesus, for He was more than willing to make her clean.

Two Men and A Harley

When you think of Harley Davidson Motorcycles you think, loud, rough, mean biker dudes...well at least I do. While making our journey to Hollywood, FL the other day we came upon a Harley Davidson and these two men sharing it. Not really the rough manly picture you expect when you think Harley Davidson is it? I could not help but snap a quick shot with my camera phone and share it with others. Roll on Fellas....

Beulah Land Part Dos

In other hymns I sing I found the same…even ones I really love and enjoy. The other day in church we were singing “All Hail the Power of Jesus Name.” Now this a familiar hymn, and one I really like…by the way I like hymns. I like to read them, and sing them…with more modern instruments that is…particularly guitars and drums and the like…Passion Band has a hymn album that rocks it came out several years ago…anyway in the hymn “All hail the Power of Jesus Name” it says these words… "O that, with yonder sacred throng, we at His feet may fall.” Now lets be honest…WHAT? Remember my degree? If I being a Seminary student, and have a Bible degree have a hard time understanding these songs, how can I worship? Furthermore, how about people in my generation and younger who do not have Bible degrees, or even a church background understand and worship? Those in favor of the “traditional” would say “we need to get back to the hymns because they are rich in theology.” They discount praise choruses and the like in favor more of the traditional hymn. But some of these hymns, as theological as they are, contain language that is foreign to our generation and disconnects us from worshipping and relating to the truth. Here is another line from “All Hail”: “Let highborn seraphs tune the lyre, and as they tune it, fall.” Again I say, WHAT? I am not dissing hymns, like I said I love them, but I am only stating the truth of the matter. I am more connected when I sing a song like one of my favorite praise songs as of recent by Hillsong United that says, “I know Your alive; You came to fix my broken life; I will sing to glorify Your holy Name; Jesus Christ.” When I sing this song I am connected. I relate. I worship.

Beulah Land Part Uno

I was in a service recently and the congregational singing was an old hymn entitled “Beulah Land.” I must confess it was the first time I had ever heard this hymn. I noticed older men and women in the service raising their hands as they worshipped. As I found myself reading the words off the jumbo tron, I was utterly confused about what I was singing. Beulah Land? Who is Beulah, and why do I want to go to her land? Where is Beulah’s Land? After doing a little research I have discovered that “Beulah Land” refers to heaven. As a matter a fact, the writer of this hymn, Edgar P. Stites, wrote this hymn in parts because he said it moved him so much that he would write a few lines and then fall on his face in praise and weep before God. That means that this song meant a great deal to the generation in which it was written and to which it connected. Now I felt a little intimidated the night we were singing it. I mean after all I hold a B.A. degree in Biblical and Theological Studies (impressive huh?) I should know about “Beulah Land.” Am I not read well enough? Am I theologically illiterate? How did I miss that? I have found that none of this is true, but rather it is a generational and cultural disconnect.

Road Rageous

That's right...had an encounter with a road rager from hades last night. It was truly unbelievable. While we were on the way to Loganville, GA with Pastor to a conference he was preaching at a crazy old white headed dude flew up beside pastor's SUV screaming profanities and waving a gun...yes the man had a gun! Funny thing is we don't even know what we did to set the guy off. We did not cut anyone off in traffic or anything. Whatever it was we did, it must of been the last straw for this guy because he was mad. He was screaming profanities so loud that we could hear him yelling before he ever made it to the side of the car. Admittedly, it was a scary moment there briefly. But he turned off and went his own way. It is amazing how some grown men will act towards something so meaningless as traffic. I bet we are the first of pastor's mentees to have a gun drawn us. What an experience...

Southern Gospel Music, Giant Organs, and Old Fashion Hymn Books

I recently attended FBC Jax annual pastor's conference. I was a newcomer to the conference and was pretty excited about attending. If you have never been to FBC in Jax it is an experience all its own. The church owns 11 city blocks downtown. It really is amazing. They have 3 existing and fully functional auditoriums, their main sanctuary being the largest topping out at almost 10,000 seats. Its not the largest church in the US, and probably not even on the top 10, but it is big by all standards of being big. The neat thing about FBC Jax is that they paid cash for everything they own. That is pretty awesome.

Jax also had very large organs in all their auditoriums. As beautiful as some people think organs are, I hate them. Nothing makes me cringe more than the sound of organ pipes blaring so loud it hurts your ears. When Jax built their auditoriums organs were cool...I guess...but they are not very cool any more...I mean when is the last time you turned on the radio for the sole purpose of listening to organ music? Southern gospel music was the music of choice for the conference. I like music. I like lots of varieties of music. Southern gospel is not one of those varieties. But to each his own. Hymn books? I thought those things went out with the invention of projection screens...not in Jax. I could not believe it when the Music Minister instructed us to, "turn in our hymn books." I could not remember the last time I heard those words. The funny thing is they had some of the best projectors I had ever seen. They were HD!! All their camera's were HD!! Why do I need to turn in a hymn book? Oh well...I had fun at the conference. I met lots of awesome people, and heard some great speakers...just not as enthused with the music as most were, but I guess it is just a matter of preference...I just don't understand why some prefer that, but I am sure the feeling is mutual with some of the music I enjoy.

Big church, lots of money, lots of nice things, lots of great people...lots of Southern Gospel Music, Giant Organs, and Old Fashion Hymn Books.

Under the Weather

I am not sure how or why being sick started being referred to as "under the weather" but it makes for a better blog title than "being sick" so I'll use it. On Tuesday of last week I started feeling the sickness come on through minor throat irritation and a subtle cough, by Wednesday, Valentines Day, I was full blown sick. I came down with the flu or some other torturous illness. Great way to spend Valentines Day, especially when my wife had prepared dinner and sent the baby away so we could enjoy it together alone...oh well She really got to display her love to me by taking care of me "through sickness..."

What an awesome wife I have to be able to take care of her sick husband and a newborn baby...I prayed over and over again that she would not get sick. I knew if she did it was over for both me and Noah...so far so good. It lasted far longer than I anticipated. It is crazy how your body will halt you suddenly. It can be rather frustrating when you want to do so much, but your body really will not let you. I am glad its over for now, and I hope it will not soon return...I have never been real big on the flu shot, but I might be right behind the old folks next year getting my fix.