God knows where you are

This is what the Lord says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.


I've never had a year with so many ups and downs. Good thing I've come to the conclusion which some would argue with that God is in control and I'm not. Otherwise, well, I might crumble sometimes. But I can look back and see where He still parts the waters.

Last winter, we were in the second half of a church start project in New Orleans. It was exciting, excruciating, hard, wonderful, terrible and all things wrapped into one package. We thought we knew where we were headed.

We did not.

My dear Mary, and our daughter Shanna and her kids Gabe and Gavin, went to New York in February, and Gavin danced in a national contest for perhaps the final time. They frolicked in a real wintery wonderland.
A month later, our lives changed again.

I was reminded of one of my favorite TV shows that you might never have heard of. It was a little Joss Whedon production called Firefly. Despite a real core of dedicated viewers, it was cancelled after one year.

It came back a few years later as a motion picture, which is one of my favorite movies of all time, called Serenity. I wonder what ever happened to Whedon? Oh, oh, yeah, those Avengers movies. From premature failure to overwhelming success. Perhaps there was a lesson there.

In March, the experiment was a part of, privileged to be a part of, was done. The New Church on South Carrollton, which was a holding name till we transitioned to a permanent new name for our church, went kaput. The powers that be pulled the plug. On July 1, the church we were part of went back to being Carrollton United Methodist Church, and we, the two pastors who did their best to co-exist for a year, were sent elsewhere..

Why? Too much money needed that wasn’t coming in versus too few people coming in who would or could give. Simple math.

Oh, we more than doubled attendance, converted to a contemporary style of worship that we believed more fit the community, developed a band, began a children's ministry, fixed a decrepit, leaking building, put in more equipment than the Saenger Theater enjoys, fed teachers up the street once a month, fed Tulane students on occasion, sent a team to feed St. Mark’s homeless community,  planted a garden that actually produced food that we gave away to the community, washed dogs and handed out what I now know to be koozies (those things you wrap your, er, water around). We had 92 persons in worship on March 15, and we averaged 61 for the year we were there, after arriving at a church averaging 25.

On April 13, we lost our beloved terrier mix Logan after 15 years. She couldn't fight through some cancer that took her life but never her spirit.

But we moved again in July. And like it says in scripture, "For I know I the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

And lo and behold, God sent us (I still believe He plans a part in all this and doesn't just start the world spinning and sit back and eat popcorn and watch) to a place I had never heard of, Coushatta, La.

He sent us to two churches that I promise have more good folks, likable folks, in them than any two churches I've ever known (and I've loved plenty of people in the various churches we've been at -- and still do).

They stood by me when the evil pneumonia liked to have killed me in the fall right on into the winter. It began on August 26 and wasn't finished with me till December. I spent Thanksgiving in the hospital, a depressing awful things to do actually, and had two ambulance rides along the way. Breathing, I learned, is really important. Kidneys, yeah, they're important, too. Oh, and heart. Heart like a took on a new role, also. The role? Last outpost before Heaven.

But as the year ends, I know more about what it means to love God, even if I'm still after all these years such a broken creature. That means more than churches closing, near-death experiences, near-life experiences and more.

I can't wait to see what these churches are truly capable of if I can stay upright for two or three months in a row, with His 

As the Bible tells me: "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea..."

I wish for all of you this new year, 2016, that you rise on the wings of the dawn. Whatever comes, God has been there and is there and will always been there.

What are you looking for?

 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

2015 might just have stunk. 
2016 might stink worse.
2017 might bring an end to the end.

But we are not to worry, because Jesus has this. Peace is the answer, the gift, the centerpiece of an agenda that begins first and foremost with Jesus saying we will have trouble, but take heart (don't worry, be happy) because He has this.

Think a couple of moments about that.

I am currently in preparation for a Bible Study that begins next Wednesday night at one of our churches on the Gospel of John. I am more than intrigued that in our introduction to the first disciples of Jesus, it goes like this: "When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi (which translated means Teacher," where are you staying. Jesus said, "Come and See."

What a conversation for us all in 2016. 

Jesus still is asking us, I reckon, "What are you looking for?"

Are we looking for a president who will make us all equal in pay and in every other way? We'll get the chance to decide that.

Are we looking to come together or are we looking to separate even more than we are?

Are we trying to remain faithful to the one who loves us most or are we growing tired of trying?

What are you looking for in the coming year? What will make it all right? What can you do to help those who are in need? What can you do to step a bit closer to the one who suffered the ultimate to make sure those least and lost would not have to?

Have you answered Jesus? What are you looking for? What makes life, life for you? Family? Check. Job? Check. The next job? The bigger house, car, etc.?

Have you thought about what Jesus is offering? He says, simply, "Come and see." 

This coming year, a fresh unspoiled masterpiece in our hands, let's answer, "yes," and go to see the one who would do anything for us in love.

What are you looking for, friends? The answer to that might just mean everything.

Troubled hearts

Sometimes what we need, beyond fact and beyond even fiction is an idea that there is something more, something beyond. 

Jesus knew that feeling, and he spoke truth into it. He said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."

Feeling down? "Do not let your hearts be troubled."

In pain? "Do not let your hearts be troubled."

In emotional distress? "Do not let your hearts be troubled."

Physically wrecked, near death, never lived in the first place, never tried and thus never succeeded? "Do not let your hearts be troubled."

It is all about him. He takes the burden, and gives us rest. He turns water into wine and whiskey into water. He changes the ones who have such a temper they can't even discuss the least thing without blowing up.

He is who he is, and who he is is God.

No more, certainly no less. He is the one who is waiting for us. He has prepared a place. 

Look, when Jesus said these words, he knew what was going on in the minds and hearts of his disciples. He knew how disturbed and upset they were, and he knew his talk about going away was the reason. So, he gives them the remedy for what ailed them. 

Perhaps this morning or evening or whenever you read this, you heart is troubled. Mine recently went into A-Fib and went into all sorts of trouble. But I couldn't, wouldn't fall to the idea that this would be all there is.

Because, because He told me not to be troubled.

New year coming

It's, quite obviously, New Year's Day. I'm, quite obviously, in a reflective mood. So, quite obviously, I'm going to reflect.

In the past year I’ve spent four weeks in the hospital. Four weeks, after not being sick the year before.

Three times, they tell me, I could have died. Makes for a great reflection. 

Twice the kids came to see me because, well, they thought Dear Ol’ Dad might be kicking off, if you know what I mean.

I’ve lived through all sorts of preponderance of things, but nothing like this year.

And yet, and yet, God was there before I ever took the first step into the Northern part of our state, and God, I believe, walked ahead of me.

The year 2016, I pray, will see the end of my trials, but much more importantly, we will see a new president elected, a new NFL champ crowned, hopefully an end to ISIS or ISIL or whatever the holy heck it is named this week.

And I pray that we all can reflect.

Not all of you can pick up a thread of reflections from a blog site.

But I can.

So, here goes nothing:




Four year's ago at this time I wrote this:

Let's start 2012 with this notion. Let's worship this child. Let's not look for blessings or good acts of kindness or excellent teaching that will turn our lives once and for all. 

Let's simply worship. Spend a moment (or many) in prayer, in praise, in glorifying, in magnifying the name of Jehovah, of Jesus, of the Holy Spirit. Let's stop a headlong plunge into precariousness and let's worship...honor...love...show PROFOUND devotion.

Maybe I am getting more profound and didn't even know it.

Five year's ago at this time I wrote this:

I'm aware I might be writing this for myself, but with a fresh, soaked new year upon me, it might be the perfect time to make those dreaded resolutions.    

I  resolved to find the light this year. Not to set goals in ministry I have no control over (size of church, whereabouts of church, etc.) but to find where God is leading and do my best to be the best person I can be and to follow the light.

Isaiah tells us: "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. For those who lived in a land of deep shadows— light! sunbursts of light!"

I resolve to seek justice, love mercy and walk humbly with my God in 2011.

And six years ago, as I was merely beginning these blogs, er, columns, I wrote this:

Ah, the first day of a new year, a new decade, my seventh amazingly enough.

I've done a lot of studying this past month that I've spent as a retiree from the world of journalism: time in scripture, time in prayer. I've learned a lot, I think, about how the Spirit works. At least I pray I have.

I wound up in Nehemiah recently, as I've planned a month series of sermons on The Church Moving Forward, and I read this:

Nehemiah was leading a team committed to rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem despite tremendous odds. At one point he said, "Face it, we're in a bad way here. Jerusalem is a wreck, its gates are burned up. Come -- let us bild the wall of Jerusalem and not live with this disgrace any longer. I told them how God was supporting me and how the king was backing me up."

The ones he was giving the uplifting speech to said, "We're with you. Let's get started." They rolled up their sleeves, reading for the good work.

I see so many instances of churches in my area, and I suspect in all areas, having great difficulty financially these days as the recession lingers. People held out for a while but eventually they began to cut back on giving.


What this exercise has taught me is this: I'm slowly learning ministry lessons, slowly learning more about people -- not always in a good way -- and slowly but surely aging. It would be interesting, I suspect, to look at 10 years worth of New Year's writings. If I live long enough, maybe, just maybe.

And here we go again

I watched the Saints play Sunday, and I couldn't help wondering as Drew Brees took a knee on third down against the Jaguars, if that was his last play as a New Orleans Saint.

With New Year's Day upon us, I couldn't then help but reflect.

In the past year I’ve spent four weeks in the hospital. Four weeks, after not being sick the year before.

Three times, they tell me, I could have died. Makes for a great reflection.

Twice the kids came to see me because, well, they thought Dear Ol’ Dad might be kicking off, if you know what I mean.

I’ve lived through all sorts of preponderance of things, but nothing like this year.

And yet, and yet, God was there before I ever took the first step into the Northern part of our state, and God, I believe, walked ahead of me.

The year 2016, I pray, will see the end of my trials, but much more importantly, we will see a new president elected, a new NFL champ crowned, hopefully an end to ISIS or ISIL or whatever the holy heck it is named this week.

And I pray that we all can reflect.

Not all of you can pick up a thread of reflections from a blog site.

But I can.

So, here goes nothing:




Four year's ago at this time I wrote this:

Let's start 2012 with this notion. Let's worship this child. Let's not look for blessings or good acts of kindness or excellent teaching that will turn our lives once and for all. 

Let's simply worship. Spend a moment (or many) in prayer, in praise, in glorifying, in magnifying the name of Jehovah, of Jesus, of the Holy Spirit. Let's stop a headlong plunge into precariousness and let's worship...honor...love...show PROFOUND devotion.

Maybe I am getting more profound and didn't even know it.

Five year's ago at this time I wrote this:

I'm aware I might be writing this for myself, but with a fresh, soaked new year upon me, it might be the perfect time to make those dreaded resolutions.   

I  resolved to find the light this year. Not to set goals in ministry I have no control over (size of church, whereabouts of church, etc.) but to find where God is leading and do my best to be the best person I can be and to follow the light.

Isaiah tells us: "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. For those who lived in a land of deep shadows— light! sunbursts of light!"

I resolve to seek justice, love mercy and walk humbly with my God in 2011.

And six years ago, as I was merely beginning these blogs, er, columns, I wrote this:

Ah, the first day of a new year, a new decade, my seventh amazingly enough.

I've done a lot of studying this past month that I've spent as a retiree from the world of journalism: time in scripture, time in prayer. I've learned a lot, I think, about how the Spirit works. At least I pray I have.

I wound up in Nehemiah recently, as I've planned a month series of sermons on The Church Moving Forward, and I read this:

Nehemiah was leading a team committed to rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem despite tremendous odds. At one point he said, "Face it, we're in a bad way here. Jerusalem is a wreck, its gates are burned up. Come -- let us bild the wall of Jerusalem and not live with this disgrace any longer. I told them how God was supporting me and how the king was backing me up."

The ones he was giving the uplifting speech to said, "We're with you. Let's get started." They rolled up their sleeves, reading for the good work.

I see so many instances of churches in my area, and I suspect in all areas, having great difficulty financially these days as the recession lingers. People held out for a while but eventually they began to cut back on giving.


What this exercise has taught me is this: I'm slowly learning ministry lessons, slowly learning more about people -- not always in a good way -- and slowly but surely aging. It would be interesting, I suspect, to look at 10 years worth of New Year's writings. If I live long enough, maybe, just maybe.

Peace, love and faith

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

I've always thought of myself as a shepherd, without the sheep I reckon. Oh, I'm not talking about the actual shepherding. I'm talking about being one of the lowly that God has sent a message through. I can say that not because I'm particularly humble but because I reckon that the message is the same for many: Jesus came to seek the least and the lost.

Each and everyone of us can say that, even live that, as we are the worst of the least and the most of the lost.

This day, this Christmas Eve, my 62nd, I have a few things I wished for, and it would take far more than Santa to make these things happen.

I wish for peace for the world. Just a day, really. Just a moment where we're not trying to take each other out.

I wish for love, for each other as different as we are.

I wish for faith, that those who don't know what Jesus is about come to a conclusion that directs them toward him. In other words, let us be Jesus to the many.

There. That's it. That's the load.

I've lived through the age of black and white TV, through color, through portable typewriters, through early computers, through the beginning of the Net, through tablets. Everything that can be bought and sold, I've lived through them.

And the best of it all is peace, love and faith.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas, and may your day be lit by the light of Christ.

Today in the town of David

Can you imagine if today, all at the same time, on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and every other type of social media there came one post that shut everything else out.

"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” With that post, message, tweet, was an attachment of a being of some kind, blurred but incredibly filled with light as if he or she WAS light.

Then, with the Internet shut down, our tablets and laptops and desktops all suddenly blank, in the sky above us, all around us, same sight as one, same sight above Africa as above the Americas, etc., we see this.

"Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.'"

What the heck would we do?

What the heck would we say to someone sitting next to us? 

What would we say to the one working next to us?

Would we find God at that moment? Would we seek him more? Would we learn to walk in HIs ways? Would we try?

Seriously, friends, wouldn't that make a difference in the way we do business, the way we interact with others, the way we see Him? It seems to me that the biggest problems we have as a nation, as a community, as a world, is we are all seeking something greater than ourselves no matter how much we think of ourselves and there is only one place to find that something greater.

We can believe those things above happened one evening or we can choose to not believe them.

 If we believe them, we are called to act, to be different, to be filled with grace and with truth and with light.

 If we do not believe them, there was no one born that night, no difference-maker, no Savior, no Lord, then we will be in a life-long search that will lead us to false Gods, false religious, false living.

That's what is at stake in a company of the heavenly host saying (not singing by the way) Glory To God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.

Without that birth, there is no death, and without the death there is no heavenly eternal life, and without the resurrection there is no belief.

I did not make this up. These are the choices. I did not make this, it is making me. This baby born to die changes me, changes everything.