The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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“Our flag was still there” after the British assault on Ft. McHenry in 1814. Now there’s a different assault. Some protest the American flag in the worship place, decrying “Christian nationalism.” We probably have some who equate the USA with the “new Jerusalem,” but I don’t know that I’ve ever met them. They’re certainly not in any church I’ve ever served. What I’ve seen in my pastoral experience is sincere Christians who love God and love their country. Many of them served their homeland i...
Recently, my wife, Janeese, and I explored the Sequoia National Park in the Sierra Nevada’s of California. John Muir, the famous Scottish born, American naturalist was one of the early explorers of the Sequoias, Yosemite and many other areas that later became National Parks. He was one of the first to see and write about these gigantic trees. In fact, he was an early advocate for the preservation of all of the American wilderness and is called the “Father of the National Parks.” While visit...
It was a number of years ago when I was in the book signing line to meet former first lady Laura Bush. I fell into conversation with a nice gentleman just behind me when, suddenly, two big men in suits came to him, identifying themselves as federal agents and asked him to come with them. When he returned he was ashen. He said the two agents told him he had a pocketknife, and they were going to confiscate it until the event was done. We puzzled over this since there wasn’t a magnetometer that we...
George W. Bush famously said, “When I was young and foolish, I was young and foolish.” Me, too, Mr. President. We used the Revised Standard Version of the Bible in the classroom at the seminary I attended, and I used it also in my weekend preaching in rural Indiana. The parishioners never questioned this. Since they had a steady contingent of student preachers from Louisville, I’m sure they were accustomed to this particular translation. We moved back to Alabama after graduation. I conti...
Our denominational publishing house contacted me last year after a writer had to drop out of an assignment. The editor asked if I could write guidelines for teachers to go along with the curriculum. Since the three lessons were from the Gospel of John, I relished this study and found it rewarding. One of the lessons was about the healing at the Pool of Siloam. Jesus spat in the dust, made a pasty poultice, covered the eyes of the blind man and asked him to wash in the nearby pool. So why did...
In the month of July, as we celebrate the birthday of our great country on July 4th, it is a great time to reflect on a person who many refer to as the “Greatest American”! But what, you might ask, made George Washington worthy of such a title? To be honest, after visiting his home and the Washington museum at Mount Vernon as well as studying more about his life, George Washington has become one of my hero’s. So, I might be a bit biased. But here are a few reasons why I think he is the ”Grea...
A denominational organization just endured a time of testing. Critics said it was “woke” and took money from a liberal icon whose name is anathema to conservatives. An independent researcher found that 98 percent of funding came from the denomination, and the remaining two percent from individuals, not including this icon. The charge couldn’t be proven, yet the charge was oft repeated. Of course, the accusation implied that contributions meant control. This episode brings up the age-old quest...
American Express launched an ad campaign in 1987 entitled, “Membership Has Its Privileges,” a phrase that found root in pop culture. I don’t think we’ve used the phrase in church, but we’ve traditionally said something similar. Evangelicals say, “Trust Christ, be baptized and join the church.” However, numbers of people today declare their love for God and attend, but may join the church later, or never. Studies show about half of American adults belong to a church, but a “significant...
July 1, 2025 - BATON ROUGE, LA – July 1, 2025 - Jimmy Swaggart, the fiery Pentecostal preacher whose voice once echoed through millions of American homes and whose gospel music touched hearts around the world, died Tuesday morning at the age of 90. He passed away peacefully at a Louisiana hospital after suffering cardiac arrest on June 15, according to a statement from his family and the SonLife Broadcasting Network. Swaggart's death marks the end of an era in American religious broadcasting. F...
A prominent businessman approached the pastor to discuss his brother’s funeral. The deceased was widely known in the community as a scoundrel. The man told the pastor, “I’ll give you $500 if you’ll call my brother a ‘saint’ in your funeral sermon.” The pastor thought long and hard. On the day of the funeral he stood to say, “John was a bad man, a bully and a thief, but compared to his brother, he was a saint!” Delivering funeral orations is among the most demanding pastoral tasks. I’ve condu...
Mastering our mouths, taming our tongues, watching our words is one of the toughest things to do! We use words all the time not only in our conversations but also in our emails, texts, social media, blogs, posts and tweets. We are a nation of talkers! “Self-control means controlling the tongue!” -Proverbs 13:3 Another way to put it: He who guards his mouth controls himself. The Book of James has this to say about the tongue: “...but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil,...
A pastor on a denominationally-related Facebook page took issue with ministers dressing casually in the pulpit. This is truly an unwinnable argument. Many congregations have been influenced by the contemporary church movement—though this movement from the 80s is hardly contemporary anymore. One of the precepts is that members intentionally “dress down.” A common excuse from the unchurched was they didn’t have “Sunday clothes.” Hence, the argument went, we’ll do away with both Sunday clothe...
I stopped by a fast-food restaurant en route to work lately and saw the line of cars around the building. I decided walking in for a morning biscuit would be faster. However, the lady at the counter said, “We’re out of biscuits and won’t have any for 20 more minutes.” I saw the biscuit-maker behind the counter who was working furiously, and I decided not to wait. Another gentleman in a work uniform walked out with me. He snidely said, “Who’s got 20 minutes?” “Right?” I said snidely back. I’v...
A local church is meeting elsewhere during renovations, and their electronic sign flashes, “Temporary worship.” It is only the next panel that tells the current location, so be patient! This made me think about temporary worship I was in for a few weeks. I was pastor at First Baptist Church, Selma, when we did some major roof and ceiling repairs. We asked (at the time) First Presbyterian across the street if we might use their sanctuary for the ten weeks. Our neighbors responded with kin...
It was a tradition I grew up with. On the second Wednesday the typical Bible study and prayer time was laid aside for 45 minutes of hearing reports and making motions—the Baptist business meeting. Sometimes it would be tedious and sometimes boring and sometimes contentious. I was a teen-ager when one evening the treasurer announced he wanted to purchase membership in a new box store where customers could buy in bulk. “The membership is $8,” he said, “but we’ll save that much on the first tri...
Those who follow a legend have a daunting task. Consider Joshua who followed Moses of whom it was said he knew God face-to-face! But Joshua had been a careful student learning from the mentor who instructed him. Joshua isn’t remembered as a lawgiver as Moses was. Not really a King John or Thomas Jefferson giving great legal documents, but more like Patton driving the German army out of North Africa. He would be the general who brought the people into the land of promise. Just before his death Jo...
Jesus is often referred to as "the light of life". And John 1:4 states that "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." With verse 9 further stating that "The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world." In fact, early religious iconography often depicts Jesus surrounded by a halo, which is a ring of light surrounding a person. While often science and religion seem to be at odds, upon further study, they intertwine once more. Such is the case with a newly...
May 17, 2025 – VATICAN CITY – Pope Leo XIV will lead his inaugural mass Sunday. Vice President J.D. Vance – himself a Catholic convert – will lead a substantial United States delegation that includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) and other members of Congress. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the King and Queen of Spain – Felipe and Letizia will also be there as well as Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, German Chancello...
I was going through one of my Dad’s old notebooks the other day and saw where he had saved old articles and poems from the past. There were also some poems and articles that he wrote. Like me, my Dad was a Methodist Pastor in Alabama and the panhandle of Florida as was my grandfather and my great-grandfather too. My Dad died in 1988 at the age of 57, but while he was alive he taught me to regularly reflect on my life and my witness for Christ. I miss him everyday and wish I could hear his v...
It’s been my experience that funeral home directors generally have a great sense of humor. I asked a gentleman about this once and he explained that a sense of humor is the only thing that saved him from awful depression. I can imagine these men and women deal with the greatest of tragedies. But on the other hand, I’ve heard some interesting stories from them. One funeral home employee told me about trying to salvage a graveside service after several pallbearers were drunk, and one fell into the...
Christian author, Lee Strobel, was in Birmingham last year. I met him and heard his fascinating story of abandoning atheism for a life of faith. Strobel, a journalist and legal reporter for “The Chicago Tribune,” was an unbeliever when his wife came to faith. She did was Peter admonished in his first letter, “letting her light shine” rather than nagging him for his unbelief! Stroebel was struck by the changes in her life and began a journalistic investigation into the gospel record, resulti...
Our Alabama Baptist retreat at Shocco Springs is a gorgeous place, and I’ve enjoyed every event I’ve attended there. Several years ago, I attended a two-day training course for pastors. A conference for senior adults was on site at the same time. I saw that the other group was having a concert that night when our group wasn’t meeting, so I went. The singer did a great job. He sang some “oldies” like “Silhouette” by Peter Noone and “Can’t Help Falling In Love With You” by Elvis. He sang the...
May 7, 2025 - VATICAN CITY - A Historic Day in the Vatican. Today marks the commencement of the Papal Conclave to select the successor of Pope Francis - who died on Easter Monday. The conclave is a profound and ceremonious event that will determine the successor to the throne of Saint Peter. The conclave is a venerable tradition within the Roman Catholic Church, dating back centuries, where cardinals from around the globe gather to elect the new Pope. This solemn assembly is bound by secrecy,...
May 8, 2025 – VATICAN CITY – The cardinals finally elected a new Pope. Late on Thursday evening white smoke began bellowing out of the building where the 133 cardinals were gathered to select the new Pope. This notified the faithful gathered in Vatican Square than an announcement of the selection would be coming. The cardinals shocked many Vatican watchers by selecting an America - Robert Francis Prevost as the Successor to St. Peter. The 69-year-old pontiff chose the papal name of Leo the XIV...
My neighbor stopped me to announce he’d taken up lawn care as a second job. He asked if I’d be interested in patronizing him. I’ve always taken care of our yard, without charge, but I know sometimes things happen on weekends, or I get rained out. “How much would it cost?” I inquired. “Probably about sixty dollars,” he said. I was shocked. The last time I priced lawns was when I was 12 or 13 years old. I mowed three yards in the neighborhood. Mrs. Harris’s yard was $6, Mrs. Herron’s was $4...
