High Country Adventure!

We are back from the Ocoee! I can't think of a better way to get to know a bunch of teenagers then to travel down the Ocoee River in a guided raft. You can see by the looks on their faces that everyone had a great time. I'll give High Country Outfitters http://www.highcountryoutfitters.com/ a 5 star review. I've been using them for several years now and this particular outfitter seems to have the most experienced guides. Thanks to all who attended this trip. It is safe to say that we ended the summer on a positive note.

Tolerance!

I am pro-tolerance! I would hate for America to return to an age of intolerance. Bigotry is awful! As is prejudice, hate, and narrowmindedness (if I could so use that word). Look at all the different people up above. They all smile. But they are all different. In general, there is nothing wrong with it. There must be tolerance if a society is to survive.
But my question is how does tolerance and the expression of faith work together. Jacob Jenkins (or J. Jacob Jenkins...you know that after writing a book one has to include a rarely used initial in order to bleed credibility) has a book that deals with seven lifeless sins. One of them is tolerance. He shares a dream that he later confesses was no real dream but the thought of it becoming true was surely a nightmare. (Stay with me now...)
In short, the hypothetical dream involved his death. But he was allowed to witness his own funeral and this was not the scary part. The scary part came when everyone who spoke about him referred to him being NICE. This was his nightmare. He woke in a sweat, not because he felt he was looking into the immediate future or that his wife was smiling or something. Rather, he could see that the path his life was on would only result in his close friends and his family referring to him as NICE! Only NICE! Not dangerous, risky, brave, or unpredictable. Just NICE! It reminded of me Dallas Willard's quote that "Jesus was more than just nice...he was brilliant."
It seems that Christians, especially here in America, have placed niceness upon such a pedestal that it has become the ultimate goal in life. What ever happened to the scandalous offense of the gospel? Does the gospel mess up people's life anymore? Maybe Stanley Hauerwas is right when he claims that "cynicism is a virtue." Haurewas even found it within himself to give a half compliment to the fundamentalist Southern Baptist preachers. He proclaimed once that although their meanness does not often resemble the love of Christ, at least the @*%# stand up for something.
My point is, and I follow Jenkins' line of thought, that we are all too afraid of offending another person. Congenial Christianity says, "Don't offend anyone...just tolerate." Toleration is surely Christian but is it possible that the type of toleration that has swept through out country now taking the sting out of the gospel. Has relativity consumed the country in such a way that it doesn't tolerate room for truth. (And now you free to ask..."But what issss truth?) John Stott said, "truth becomes hard if it is not softened by love; love becomes soft if it is not strengthened by truth." I remember when I merely mentioned this to a group of teenagers. They looked at me like I had horns coming out of my head when I brought up falling in love with Christ so much that they consider their beliefs to be special. Our interpretation of God is too safe. Our interpretation of Jesus' life is one of niceness. We must respect others faith, lifestyle, and creed but we need not throw away the scandalous nature of our own.

Two First Churches Together

Early in the morning on October 6th, 2006, the pastor of FUMC of Memphis was awakened by a haunting telephone call. The voice on the other end informed her that First United Methodist Church of Memphis was on fire. Since then Martha Wagley has demonstrated inspiring leadership to her saddened congregation as they meet in a chapel at St. Judes Research Hospital.

Yesterday First Baptist Church of Memphis was pleased to have the congregation of FUMC join us for worship, lunch, and a River City Band concert. The proceeds of the concert went to the building fund so that the once lovely, historic worship space could be built once again.

Ray Hatton, our minister to music, planned the event and it was a great success. This was actually the second time the two congregations had joined together. The first time was in the 1800's and it was First Methodist who opened up their doors to a bunch of disorganized Baptists.

But the highlight of the morning was when Carol McCall-Richardson, associate pastor of FBC and Martha Wagley, pastor of FUMC stood together at the pulpit to discuss their friendship with one another as two ordained women. What a testament to what great things can happen in church life when individuals open their heart and their minds to what is good and right.

Most of all, I was surprised about how moved I became when Martha Wagley described the feeling of getting that phone call on October 6th. There I sat with the other ministers in our cozy sanctuary knowing that these good people at FUMC would have to return to their temporary home at St. Jude. I sat there and tried to feel what they felt as many drove downtown to watch their church burn to the ground. What sadness I felt at that moment and this does not compare to the heartbreak that they felt that morning before sunrise.

I don't think that I ever truly attached a sense of empathy to the situation last October. I watched it on the news. I was burdened but did not know them. I watched and hated to see that beautiful building burn. But I had never pondered it all sitting in our sanctuary at FBC. How terrible it would have been to see it go up in flames.

FUMC, we pray for you daily. We pray for progress that will exceed all expectations. We pray for the architects, builders, planners, and committees that will meet and perform their duties. We pray for future growth and new Christians to be a part of the congregation one day. We pray for Martha Wagley as she presses forward with God has commissioned her to do.

Listening Sessions Continue

In Baptist life, everyone has a voice. Well, at least in theory. This historical process is often neglected in modern day Baptist circles but it must be retained if the Baptist tradition is to continue. This Baptist blogger believes that giving church members a chance to share their opinions on theology, polity, and church matters is of great importance.
Not long ago our pastor here at FBC Memphis resigned to pursue other interests. As a result, we've had to go through the process of selecting a good group of men and women to choose for us a new pastor. We pray, they pray, and we all hope that the man or woman chosen is the right one to take on the rather difficult position of head pastor of a historical Baptist church in Memphis. He/she will be asked to respect the past but move the church into an already postmodern era of thinking. He/she will be asked to be a pulpiter but also demonstrate charisma. He/she will be asked to well represent the community but asked not to forget about his flock.
I look forward to the day that a pastor is chosen but for now, our listening sessions continue. I'm proud to say that we exemplify the most democratic way of handling the situation in any Baptist church in which I've been a part. We gather, we voice our concerns and prayerful hopes, someone facilitates, and someone takes notes. The notes are given to the selected group of women and men chosen to represent our church as we go about the time-consuming process of calling a pastor.
If you haven't visited FBC Memphis, this is actually a good time to do it. There is a spirit of togetherness that I've rarely witnessed in church life. And tell them that I sent ya'. If you do, your membership is free!

Another Almighty Movie

The Rise of the Silver Surfer Review

☻☻☺☺☺

I know little about The Fantastic Four. I know they wear blue tights. Their main line of work involves fighting evil as American heroes. I now know that The Fantastic Four put Marvel comics on the map.

I also know that this movie was terrible. I hated it. I never get the opportunity to go to the movies anymore and so it is very important that I choose a good one when I go. I chose wrong. The directors of this movie tried to make feel emotional about a silver man who came to destroy our world. I sort of wish that the earth would have been consumed by this dark cloud that was attracted by the silver surfer's board. If this would have happened then there would be no more Fantastic Four and no more bad acting.

Before and After

I noticed that by older brother http://subarumanandsidekickwilly.blogspot.com/posted a picture that was taken almost at the same angle as one recently taken by another person. The one at the very top shows him on top of the debris pile. He may not be aware of it but when I stood there the previous week I noticed that the pile was an entire house. It was flattened by Katrina and it appears that as it floated toward our house it actually took out the east corner of it. It may make little sense but I remember standing there and noticing that the pipe work floor tile were all connected. The rear of our old house is the background. But what you can't see is that there is no front. This dynamic conveniently served as a gigantic, debris catching glove that collected the subdivision south of the house.

The second photo is the new house. My parents live in a trailer on the same property. This house is bigger and better but I also wonder what our first Christmas will feel like. Will every morning be a reminder for my parents of what happened? Will anyone down there ever completely forget? Well, right now they have a constant reminder as they still wake up in a 30 foot trailer and take a shower in a shed. So if you have to remember I guess it is better to remember the past in a 2400 sq. ft. home.

Nice looking deck isn't it?

Rabbi Micah Greenstein at FBC Memphis

Rabbi Greenstein is known for his warmth, way with children, and thought-provoking sermons. Since moving to Memphis in 1991, Micah D. Greenstein has served as Assistant Rabbi, Associate Rabbi, and now Rabbbi of Temple Israel. With the retierment of Rabbi Harry K. Danziger on September 1, 2000, Rabbi Greenstein became the 8th Senior Rabbi of Temple Israel.

Rabbi Greenstein will be speaking at First Baptist Church of Memphis on Sunday morning June 10th. This is a wonderful way to celebrate the ecumenical spirit between Temple Israel and First Baptist Church. The message title will be, "The Most Exalted Definition of True Religion." Please don't miss this time together.

Sunday June 10th at 11am at First Baptist Church of Memphis. 200 East Parkway North, Memphis TN.

Progress down South

It's easy to forget about the victims of Katrina. My parents are still living in a 30 foot trailer but anticipate moving into the house above by early July. Hurricanes were fun growing up. It is hard to explain it but when you don't have to pay the house note or the car payment, hurricanes are the next best thing to anticipating a trip to Disney World. We get out of school, we get national TV exposure (which rarely happens in Pascagoula unless Trent Lott slips up and says something wrong), and we get to flee the city for a nice hotel room somewhere north of Hattiesburg. Elena and Frederick were weanies. They just blew down about 18 of our trees. I remember the mosquitos, the heat, the clean up, the dead squirrels, the grilling out, the oak tree top in our attic, and skateboarding at night through in valleys of piled up debris in the streets.
But I still say I wouldn't trade the memories for anything. There is something hautingly fun about taping up our windows 2 hours before the world caves in.
But I am reminded now of what Katrina did. As I sit here with my youngest child in my lap, it is strange to find myself so content in Memphis, TN. Sometimes I feel as if I should be going through hell myself down there. Many people who moved after Katrina feel guilty for doing so and are moving back. I would have left also, I admit. Now my memories are filled with the darkened streets of that first entry into Pascagoula a week after the storm. I recall my mom crying on my shoulder, sitting by myself on the destroyed property as my mom stood in a 6 hour FEMA line, pulling out other people's lives from my house (this included hot water heaters, guns, dishwashers, plates, pictures, clothes, decks, sinks, mattresses, furniture, and jewelry), standing on an entire house in my front lawn but oddly enouph only being about 5 feet off the ground, the rescue helicopters that made it sound like a war zone, rumors of dead friends, rumors of hundreds dead in a nearby neighborhood, the awful signs that we wrote to scare off looters, and a father who just happened to be an insurance agent at the worst possible moment.
But now I can gaze at the house above and realize that, although this country has enormous problems, it is a pretty good deal. My parents will live well now for the rest of their lives. I also look at my parents as heros. My brother and I used to talk about how they couldn't survive anything like hurricane Ivan that came a year before and caused a big scare. They fooled us all. They stuck it out. They survived and will in some weird way cherish it all. The Apostle Paul said that we can take joy in our sufferings. I believe what he said. But honestly I think that joy only comes as the years pass by.

Amos Lee and a Cool Breeze

For those of you who haven't discovered Amos Lee, then you're missing out. www.amoslee.com His latest CD, Supply and Demand, is underrated. Or maybe he's just not getting the attention he deserves. I never hear of anyone giving him a bad review.
So I find myself sitting outside on my deck anticipating a nice meal tonight at Texas de Brazil. We are celebrating my wife's birthday. I'm listening to Amos Lee on my headphones. Surprisingly, what was once a hot muggy day has turned out to be a pleasant, breezy afternoon. You can probably tell that there is nothing much on my mind. Maybe that is the way it should be for a summer Sunday afternoon.

As I conclude this worthless blog, Amos is singing his song Wind.

"Saturday night, my head is spinnin'. I wonder who's heart I've been sinning for. Cold rain blows on my window. Soft sand gone from my pillow. One more step that I've been taking, Yes and one more, I don't need no more breaking up. All the red lights, how they are Burning down the highway. I remember when the wind Had blown my way. But the wind blew down my line. Yeah, the wind, blew down my line. Man on the street, each day I'm passing. A small bite to eat is all he's been asking for. Oh, but cold steps is all he's been yeilding. Oh, and now I know that empty feeling. Yeah, the wind blew down my line Yeah, the wind blew down my line. Yeah, the wind blew down my line.

Cool.