There was a second page turned down in the green back Broadman Hymnal of my youth. While the first page that was turned down, was the hymn “Ready” which greatly influenced my call to ministry, the second page turned down was for a hymn that equally influenced my life. It was also a favorite of…
While moving my office recently, I came to the music bookshelves – hymnals and song books, collected over the years. There it was – the green-back Broadman Hymnal, and the inscription on the front cover – “West End Baptist Church, Houston, Texas.” Significance? Not only was my father the pastor of this church, but this…
Recently I had coffee with a long-time friend, an accomplished and highly sought-after soloist, with whom I taught on the Southwestern Baptist Seminary faculty. I used to sit next to him during Seminary graduations and convocations and wish I could preach as good as he could sing. Last week I sat next to a good…
Last week was a medical week for me. I went to bed on Monday night with a slight pain but thought nothing of it. I woke up Tuesday with a lot of abdominal pain. A text to my Dr. informed me which meds to take. By Thursday it had worsened to the point that I…
I went to an estate sale last week. I seldom attend one of these, except this one happened to be in the home of a long-time friend and colleague. I made it OK through the living room, even though I had to see the couch and chairs where my wife and I last visited with…
I keep getting out of shape. So, I’m once again walking early each morning, even before my spiritual quiet time. I am intrigued by 1 Timothy 4:7, “exercise yourself toward godliness.” The Greek word is “gumnasia,” variously translated, “exercise,” “discipline,” or “train,” and from which we derive the English word for “gymnasium.” I can think…
Do you ever wake up with a song on your mind? I often do. This morning it was a hymn by Johnson Oatman, Jr. from the late 1800s. He wrote over three thousand hymns, but this is the one I remember. “Count your many blessings, name them one by one; count your many blessings, see…
In the midst of my third pandemic book, I developed writer’s block. Wikipedia defines this as “a condition, primarily associated with writing, in which an author loses the ability to produce new work or experiences a creative slowdown.” When we were first told to shelter in place, I was extremely frustrated so I asked God…
A long-time friend posted an article concerning the church going dark – that is, low lights in the congregation, and spotlights on the stage. Another attempt at what I call performance-based worship, which may in itself be an oxymoron. We used to sing “Standing on the Promises” while sitting on the premises, I guess we…
When I read a book that I really love, the end of each chapter causes a mini-disappointment in my mind, as I get closer to the end of the book. Life is similar. I appear to be close to finishing a chapter. A few days ago, I was surprisingly informed that my retirement office was…