Another Sunday

The last preaching outing on my 2011 calendar was yesterday.  I guess, now, it's smooth sailing until 2012.  Yeah, right!  

Yesterday, I preached both of our morning services at the Joyous Church in Panama City, and what a joy it was.  I am really enjoying the preaching ministry again.  The coming of a minister of music to handle the musical aspects of our worship services really frees me up to be able to, as the Scripture says, give attention to the Word of God.  I labored in the text at Acts 9:32-35. (It's so amazing that I've been preaching through Acts since January and that's how far I've gotten in 11 months.) In the presentation, I tried to impress upon the people that when people look at them they should be able to turn someone to the Lord.  The way the Lord prepared and presented the presentation was just phenomenal to me!  "Seeing Me Should Shift You Towards the Savior" was the title of the talk and I pray several of our people were tuned in enough to start turning to God this week.

The 10am worship was poorly attended (for our church).  I attribute most of that to the fact that many of our people were still out of town for the holiday weekend.  But, even with some gone or maybe, even, some contemplating going, yet another individual comes down the aisle to unite with our church.  I am really in a prayer season now that I am constantly asking God to bring stability and steadfastness to our congregants and disciples.  Church ain't what it use to be to people anymore.  I've never seen such a day when so many people, who call themselves Christians, are so nonchalant about church and worship.  I'm praying for the fervency of the faithful to return.

At 1:30 yesterday afternoon I was able to further rekindle what had been an estranged relationship in recent years.  Our church shared in fellowship and worship with the Greater Friendship Baptist Church in Panama City for the closing worship of their annual Homecoming Celebration.  I'm thankful for a great following that accompanied me over there.  It was good seeing Pastor Mumphery and his family again. (The baby has gotten so big and beautiful.)  I was already tired from my 2 previous presentations but I still tried to do my best preaching 2nd Samuel 5:1-5, "This May Take A While."  After that service I was ready to call it a night and lay my head down.

After coming home to an empty house, again (our children and the holiday guests were now gone), my wife suggested we watch some DVD she had gotten from one of our preachers of black Christian comics called Soulful Funny or Soulfully Funny or something, I don't remember...... LAME!  It put both of us to sleep.  

I didn't want to watch anymore football.  Saturday was such a terrible college rivalry day; no game was worth watching.  And my beloved Bucs have taken a turn for the worst after giving back a win to the Tennessee Titans yesterday.  With a 4-7 record after losing 5 straight, I think I'm about to call hospice in for them as far as this season is concerned.  As a football fan, I am really not feeling this Urban Meyer announcement; he has lost so many cool points with me.  He left the Gators (who is my choice to root for among the Florida major college football teams, I'm a Rattler that bleeds orange and green) saying that his health was questionable and he wanted to spend more time with his family, raising his children, and that dude ain't been off the road from running around with ESPN since he quit coaching and now he's moving to Columbus to coach Ohio State.  That guy is full of it!  Why can't we just be honest about how we really feel and what we're really doing?  Really??  I'm done with him.

Active Activities

This weekend was absolutely a wild one.  In the meeting of the our deacons Thursday night the lights went out in the whole area of our church yet a valiant attempt was made by some of our brothers to continue with the meeting.  I have to exclaim something doesn't seem right about "what's done in the dark."  Hmmmmm.  Yet, I came out alright.

Friday, the wife and I picked up her car from the body shop.  It looks good with a few minor adjustments that they're going to take care of on Tuesday.  After picking up the car we went furniture shopping.  We've been bumming it since we took our living room furniture and her bedroom furniture to our daughter's place in Tallahassee a couple of months ago.  I'm a little excited as they'll be delivering our new furniture Friday.  

Saturday was long also.  After a lengthy yet stately homegoing service for one of the oldest disciples at our church the rest of the day was filled with preparation for my Sunday presentations and watching one of the wildest days in college football ever.  I love football and rooting for the underdog; it was great.  My beloved FAMU lost in more ways than one Saturday, losing the Annual Florida Classic (BCU has to win every now and again; why not let them have 16 wins in 66 tries) and also losing a drum major from the renowned Marching 100 Band to death.  The latter is still so surreal and unreal to me.  I have two children at FAMU right now.

Sunday, I did my best preaching at our church for both the morning services from Acts 9:23a & Genesis 8:22. I titled the message "The Fullness of Time."  I tried to put the proper perspective on the process of time as it relates to the fulfilling of the will of God.  I was roughly pleased with both presentations.  My third presentation I wasn't too pleased with.  At the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Tallahassee for Pastor Stanley Walker's 32nd Anniversary I didn't do well at all even though I attempted to preach Isaiah 1:17 about a Lesson in Learning (to do well).  I'm repentant for my blunder and overwhelmed by the opportunity to take care of the task.  But, then too, I am very seldom pleased or satisfied with any of my presentations in preaching.  Well, God, you haven't given up on my attempts thus far, keep me for the rest of them as I try to make you pleased and proud.

After the chaos of college football Saturday I thought there was promise for an upset for my Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.  My Bucs played well (I watched it on my phone while riding to Tallahassee; thank God for Sunday Ticket To Go) but they just couldn't stop this Aaron Rodgers cat.  I'm soooooo tired of these Packers; they make it look so effortless.... sickening.  I use to feel this way about the Patriots but they've finally been brought down a peg or two.  No one is invincible or un-flawed but my God.  Give me a break Pack. LOL

Well, enough for today.  Here's to a blessed Thanksgiving week.  I am so looking forward to the "downtime."  Although I still have to prepare my usual 2 messages for the midweek.  How be ever, to God be the glory for all we do and  He does this week!

When Did Time Speed Up?!

Every week it seems, to me, that time moves so fast!  I find myself, every Thursday, asking "wasn't it just Sunday?!"  I guess it's true that the older you get the more it seems time flies.  Because when I was a teenager and in my 20s it felt like it took time forever to pass.

These days, after sleeping a few restless nights, preparing and preaching/teaching several messages and having a couple of "business" meetings, another 7 days have past yet problems and predicaments seems to persist.  Understanding "my times are in God's hands," I guess we really should be trying to increase our relationship with God so He can bring a sense of pace to the passing of time in our lives.  May my inquiring prayers to God be fully granted.

Last night I continued my mid-week bible study series on Faith with the next installment on Abraham: Believing the Impossible, Sacrificing the Ultimate.  It usually takes me a couple weeks or so to finish a lesson but this one will probably be a bit longer since we won't have Wednesday night service next week in an attempt to yield to the Thanksgiving Day Worship at 10am.

I have a couple of meetings today, one that I'll probably welcome and enjoy and another that I could do without.  Traditional Baptists can be some of the most carnal and disconnected group of religious people known to man and the most aching part of that is that they are completely satisfied and situated in that state.  It's such a hurting thing that we can call ourselves "movers and shakers" in the church but we're never "moved nor shaken" by the God of the church.

This weekend will be another long one.  A funeral Saturday and preaching 3 times again on Sunday.  Hope this thrust to the end of the football season will be a great one as my beloved FAMU goes on their annual pilgrimage to Orlando to, prayerfully, deliver our annual spanking to Cookman.  A miracle is going to have to take place Sunday as my Bucs take on the mystique of Lambeau and the undefeated Packers.  Looks like the blessing of Sunday will reside where it should, upon worship.

Love the Work, Living the Vocation

I discovered a very long time ago that I really love preaching the Word of God.  It's my calling, it's my passion, it's my privilege.  Although, most times, I feel inadequate for the task and work that has been assigned to me, I enjoy it so much!

Today, I shared with my faithful 40 in our Tuesday Noonday Service again from Ephesians 6 concerning the whole armor of God.  While presenting today God impressed upon me something that I had never really thought about before from that passage.  If we are to mortify our flesh, and kill our fleshly desires and live by the Spirit of God, some times (if not most) God has the one piece of offensive weaponry, the sword of the Spirit (which is the Word of God), to help in our own personal fights.  Causing us to find it necessary at some time to fall on our own sword.   That may sound erroneous to some of us, but it was quite enlightening and educating to me.  I really do love preaching!!!  It blesses me while I pray that it is blessing so many others.

If I could just do preaching, I think I would.  Pastoring is a whole different story.  But once again, I realize it's my calling and my passion and, therefore, my privilege.  There is an old adage that asks "how can we love God without having to deal with His people?"  Because God's people can sometimes be a bit much to deal with.  But I have to daily remind myself that they belong to God and He never really told me to "deal" with them.  He commands me to feed them... "set things in order" (as Paul told Titus)... but never really said to "deal" with them.  I have to remember to let God deal with them while he deals with me in directing them to the promises of God and delivering to them the Word and will of God.

God grant me that strength to continue and have constant and consistent continuity to cause change in the climate and the congregation that I preach to.  

Well, back to work in the preparation of presentations of the Word of God, called preaching.  I love this work, so I live this vocation; because it's my joy and my job.

Ministry and Mommy

Yesterday was another very busy day in my ministerial career.  I had thoughts of my mother throughout the day inasmuch as she would have celebrated her 68th birthday yesterday had she not gone on to live with the Lord at the age of 55 back in 1998.  How be ever, I stuck to my task and my ministry throughout the day.

Sunday morning my preaching received "amazing" reviews.  At both of our services at the Joyous St. John Baptist Church in Panama City, Florida, where I try to give leadership as senior pastor, I preached from Acts 9:20-21 with an overall theme that spoke to the idea "That's Amazing!" (Amazed By The Anointing's Alterations).  I felt I struggled quite a bit with the presentation at both sessions because my preparation wasn't to the place I would have prefered it to be, but I heard several good remarks from my faithful followers and so I'll take their word on it... this time. :-) 

After being aggravated by my beloved Bucs yesterday afternoon, (y'all pray for Tampa Bay smh), I brushed myself off, regrouped and went to the New Judson Baptist Church in our city to preach one of my sons in ministry, Pastor Bobby L. White's 4th Pastoral Anniversary.  God blessed our worship and service.  I am so proud of our new minister of music, Mr. R. Darrius Jackson.  Our choirs are blessed and blessing by his presence.  My wife, Susan, once again wowed the crowd with yet another mind-boggling introduction of me.  (I just don't know how she keeps finding new ways and new things to say to put me up to preach!)  For the anniversary I spoke concerning vision and the visionary at Mark 8:22-26 and titled the talk "I Can See Clearly Now."  It was truly a day of celebration.  

It was good to see our eldest disciples in worship yesterday.  The oldest disciple of our church, Mrs. Versie Henry, who is 96 and will be 97 in February (I think), was at our 10am worship.  And the infamous Mrs. Dollie Douglas, who just turned 96 November 2nd, worshiped with us at 10am and at New Judson at 3pm.

After a very long day, I came home and watched Bishop Walter Scott Thomas, Bishop Noel Jones and the football games until the Jets/Patriots game was watching me.  I rested fairly well (for me) and now I guess I should get up and be productive.  I'm sure my wife is waiting on me to take her car to the body shop to get fixed after our horrific night and fight with "the animal kingdom" last Saturday on our way back home from the FAMU football game.

I'm praying for a blessed day and a blessed week.  (There are some points of the week I am not looking forward to.)