In All Things God Works Together for Good

Mr. John Henry was a plain-spoken, opinionated, and tight-fisted man who was a member of my first church.  He was a faithful church member and became a good friend, but sometimes he would say things that would make me cringe.  

He never had anything good to say about the government, civil rights, or equality and was generally opposed to any new, forward thinking idea.  He longed for the “good old-days” which had become idealized in his selective memory.   One of his favorite sayings was, “What this country needs is a good depression!”

I didn’t challenge Mr. John Henry very often, primarily because he was much older and his mind was always closed, not to mention the fact he refused to listen to other views.  But one day I said, “Mr. John Henry, you know you don’t mean that.  You really don’t think a depression would be a good thing.”

I must have caught him off guard, because he paused and gave it some serious thought.  Then he surprised me with his thoughtful response.  “No, I know we don’t need a depression.  But there were a lot of good things that came out of the depression that we could use right now.”  

The last thing this country needed was the Coronavirus Pandemic, but I believe there are some good things that will come out of this that will make us better people.  In a strange way, social distancing and “stay at home” has brought us closer together.  We realize how much we need each other and we are all finding ways to connect either through social media or an old-fashioned telephone call.  

Last Sunday, Easter Sunday morning, I stood in the pulpit of my church and looked out over an empty sanctuary.  It was so very strange, and so very sad.  I thought about Easter Sundays in the past when the sanctuary was full of faithful worshipers dressed in their Easter Sunday finest.  I will be so thankful to actually see people gather for worship again and I think people will be anxious to get back to church for corporate worship.  

 I don’t know about you, but I am noticing the little things more.  God has blessed us with a beautiful spring.  The azaleas and dogwoods have been stunning in their beauty.  We are watching Cardinals, Blue Birds, Gold Finches, Chickadees and Red Headed Woodpeckers visit our bird feeders.  The Hummingbirds will be here soon.  All of creation is celebrating the rebirth of nature and it reminds us that we will soon emerge from this “momentary affliction” to rejoice again in the goodness of God’s creation.  

There have been other blessings as a result of this crisis.  We are recognizing the sacrifice of our healthcare professionals who are serving on the front lines, putting their own health at risk to save others.  We are reaching out to the most vulnerable in our communities.  I applaud our school systems and the YMCA for finding ways to feed our children.  Pollution is down and we are learning that there are many things we can actually live without.

Romans 8: 28 reads:  “In all things God works together for good to those who love God.” It does not say that all things are good, but God can use any situation, even a Depression or a Coronavirus Pandemic to bring about good.  When life is good, when we are healthy and the economy is strong, we fall into a false sense of security, believing that we are in control of our life.  How suddenly it all can change. 

The Apostle Paul stood on top of Mars Hill in ancient Athens and proclaimed, “The God who made the world gives everyone life and breath and everything else.”  Yes, it is he who has made us and not we ourselves.  “We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.”  We realize that truth now, more than ever.

No, we didn’t need a Global Pandemic, but God is working for good in the midst of this.

Good News to Share!

Easter morning will be the 31^st consecutive Easter Sunday that I have had the joy of sharing the glorious news of the resurrection with my church family.  It is also be the most unusual Easter!

Ten years ago, I wrote an article for The Dispatch the day before Easter.  I thought you might enjoy seeing it again—I think it speaks in some ways to our present situation.

Easter 2010

Good news, oh, the chariot's coming
Good news, the chariot's coming,
Yeah, I don't want to be behind. (Spiritual)

Dear sisters and brothers, this is one happy preacher writing this column. Why? Because good news is coming soon! It's coming in the morning! Easter Sunday morning!

Tomorrow morning, I will stand before the faithful, and a few who haven't been so faithful, and announce: "I have good news to share!" The economy is awful, unemployment is soaring, health insurance is unaffordable, but I have good news to share. In spite of sickness, tragedy, natural disasters and suffering, I have good news to share. The world is full of evil and hatred, wars continue to escalate, terrorism lurks in the shadows, but I have good news to share. The good news will reverberate from coast to coast, nation to nation, ocean to ocean, and continent to continent. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

I've always been excited about Easter. One of my earliest childhood memories is sitting with my daddy on Easter Sunday on a folding chair on the front porch of the sanctuary because there was no more room inside. I vividly remember the bright Easter sun, the singing birds, the budding trees, and the blooming flowers announcing the good, glad, glorious news of the resurrection much more powerfully and creatively than our pastor ever could; bless his dear heart.  He was droning away on the inside with a tedious sermon.

Tomorrow morning, I will have the great privilege of preaching the good news of Easter joy for the 21st consecutive year here in Lexington. Mercy, time flies when you're having fun.

I wasn't having much fun some 34 years ago (44 years ago now) in my first church when I learned that I would not be preaching on Easter Sunday. Dear Miss Louise, bless her dear heart, who had been the music director at our church since the Reformation, informed me that Easter Sunday was reserved for the annual Easter cantata—yes it was. 

In the spirit of the Reformation I started to protest, but she, in the spirit of the Inquisition, told me that all of those people who came to church on Easter didn't want to be bored with a silly sermon. No sir-ree! It was an Easter cantata they wanted and an Easter cantata they would get.

I cried that Easter Sunday. People thought I was moved by the cantata, but I was crying because I thought I would have to move in order to preach an Easter sermon. But the good Lord must have heard my cries because a couple of years later he moved dear Miss Louise. Bless her dear heart, he sent the chariot for her.  I guessed they needed someone to direct the Easter Cantata in Glory. (I wonder how Peter and Paul took the news that they couldn’t preach on Easter anymore?)  But with no one left to direct an Easter Cantata at my church, I knew I would get to preach my first Easter sermon!  Good news was coming at last!

For my first Easter sermon I went out and bought a stunning, three-piece polyester light blue suit with matching patent leather blue shoes that shined so much you could see yourself in the reflection. I worked up a mighty fine Easter sermon and generously applied the Old Spice to drown out the Easter lilies and some hair tonic to doctor up my hair. (The light blue suit, the blue shoes, the sermon, and my hair have all disappeared, but I think I still have the Old Spice.)

I was so excited I barely slept Saturday night.  The next morning, Easter Sunday, I stood in the pulpit looking a lot like an Easter egg and smelling like a barber shop, but I was just as happy as I could be. I couldn't tell you a thing I said.  All I know is that I had good news to share!

As people sniffed the air and looked quizzically at my bright blue outfit, they told me it was a good sermon. After locking all the doors to the church, I walked out into the brilliant Easter sun, heard the birds singing, saw the trees budding and the flowers blooming and I realized that all creation was announcing the good, glad, glorious news of the resurrection much more powerfully and creatively than I ever could, bless my dear heart!

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! That's good news to share!

Maundy Thursday

Dear FBC Family,

Today is Maundy Thursday, one of the holiest and most somber days of the year.  Normally, we would be having a Maundy Thursday service tonight, but that is not possible as we separate ourselves from the COVID-19 threat.  Since we cannot be together in person, I want to share some thoughts with you as you observe this most holy of days.

Bishop Michael Curry of the Episcopal Church said, “These holy days are holy days because they take human suffering seriously. They were born in the crucible of hard times and suffering. That's a reminder that the God that we serve and believe in is a God who is always in the midst of life and in the midst of suffering and hardship, and together with our God, we can walk through this.”

Has there ever been a more relevant time in our life to observe this sacred weekend?  Every day we are bombarded with news of more deaths, more deaths than 9/11, more deaths than Pearl Harbor---before long we will have more deaths that Vietnam.  The Passion of our Savior is a story of suffering and death, of pain and loss, of separation and hardship.  

John, the Gospel writer, gives us a prolonged account of what took place in Jerusalem that night when Jesus gathered with his disciples to observe the Passover.  I would encourage you to read John 13-17—five chapters in all—it all took place in the Upper Room.

Read these powerful words, reflect on them, apply them to our present situation.  Here are some of my thoughts.

1)    In times of great danger, it is very important to observe the great traditions of our faith.  We call this meal “The Last Supper,” but John reminds us in 13: 1 that this was the feast of the Passover.  Jesus was a faithful Jew and his first priority was keeping the tradition.  We can’t gather for a service or a meal, but we can still worship together via the radio and streaming that will hopefully be ready by Sunday.  Even in times of social isolation, we can observe the traditions of our faith that bring a spiritual connection. 

2)   In times of danger and distress, we still must engage of acts of humility and service.  John tells us that Jesus knew his hour had come, yet he still washed the disciples’ feet—an act usually done by a servant.  And consider this, he washed the feet of Judas and served his supper.  (John 13)

3)   In critical times, the greatest thing we can do is love one another.  “Maundy” is the Latin word for mandate.  It was on this night that Jesus gave his disciples a new “mandate,” a new commandment:  “That you love one another, even as I have loved you.”  (John 13: 34)

4)   Times of loss create great stress and anxiety.  Jesus told his disciples that he was leaving them, but then reminded them that they believed in God, so they should continue to believe in him.  In times that create stress and anxiety, we should never give up believing in Jesus because he said, “I will not leave you desolate, I will come to you.”  (John 14: 18)

5)   In times of great uncertainty and anxiety, we can find peace (shalom) with God.  It is a peace that the world cannot give.  We know we can experience this peace because Jesus promised that the Father is sending us the Counselor, the Comforter, the Holy Spirit.  (John 14: 25-27)

6)   In times of fear and uncertainty, it is important to talk about what life will be like when the troubling time is over.  Jesus’ beautiful analogy of the vine and branches came in the midst of the fear of the Upper Room.  He was telling the disciples how life would be in the future, especially if we “abide in him.”  He calls the disciples his friends and tells them the greatest love is one lays down his life for his friends.  He continues to talk about the “new commandment” to love one another.   At a time of great fear and danger, he talks about joy!  (John 15)

7)   It is important in troubling times, to put everything in perspective.  This is what Jesus is doing in John 16.  He is helping the disciples to understand that this is all part of God’s plan.  He is leaving so the Holy Spirit can come.  He tells them that there will be times of persecution and travail, but one day it will all be worth it when we see Jesus again and rejoice and “no one will take your joy from you.”  (John 16)

8)   There is nothing more important in times of distress than prayer.  Jesus’ great prayer is recorded in John 17.  He prays earnestly for all of his followers, that we may know the only true God and that God would protect them in this evil world.  He also prays for unity, that we should all be one.  At the conclusion of this prayer for his people, Jesus leaves the Upper Room and crosses the Kidron Valley and enters the Garden of Gethsemane.

Wow—so much is there.  So much for us to contemplate today—Maundy Thursday.  

We are beginning to see a positive trend in the COVID-19 numbers that tells us the “Stay at Home” mandate and social distancing appear to be working.  Yesterday there were 74 reported cases.  The encouraging news is that 36 of those, almost half, have recovered.  But we still haven’t reached the peak, so please stay vigilant.  If you must go out into public, please wear a mask and carry disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer.  

 If you do get sick, the first thing you should do is call your doctor.  The majority of people who get COVID-19 get mild symptoms.  The authorities are saying that you should only go to the hospital in the event of “significant symptoms.”   When pressed on what exactly this means, Lillian Koontz (our dedicated Health Department Director) said if you are having difficulty breathing, that is when you should seek medical assistance.

If you go to Lexington Medical Center with respiratory difficulties, an alternative treatment center for possible COVID-19 cases has been set up between the Emergency Department and the Outpatient Entrance.  It will be well marked.

Let me encourage you to get your information on the crisis from reliable sources.  There are too many rumors and misinformation circulating online, and there are numerous scams.  Wake Forest Baptist has an information number 336-702-6843.  Novant Health has an information number 877-966-8668.  The official North Carolina link to current information is:   https://www.ncdhhs.gov/covid-19-case-count-nc 

Grace and Peace as we journey together,

Ray

Waiting on the Lord

This is a message I sent to my church family on Sunday morning, March 22, 2020, the second Sunday of the COVID-19 Crisis.

       “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!”

       For the second consecutive Sunday we will “rejoice and be glad” in the Lord’s day without having the opportunity to attend church.  And to think that only ten days ago life was fairly normal.  

       We had been studying the book of Acts that tells the story of the birth of the church.  I am now seeing the first chapter of Acts from a different perspective.  Jesus commanded his disciples to “not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father.”  (Acts 1: 4)

       The story of the church begins with the disciples being on lockdown, they were mandated to “shelter in place.”  

       They had just experienced the resurrection and stood on the top of the Mount of Olives as Jesus ascended into heaven.  They wanted all the world to know this glorious news, but they could not go anywhere because they were under a mandate to “wait.”

       We learned in our Bible Study that the word “wait” in the first chapter of Acts is not the normal word for “wait” in the Bible.  Luke, who also wrote Acts, was the “beloved physician.”   He was a medical doctor who used many medical terms.  The word “wait” that is used in Acts 1 means to wait for the result of a medical test or treatment.  

       Most of you know about waiting for the results of a medical test—a CT Scan, a MRI, an Ultrasound.  It is often anxious waiting—fearing the worse, hoping for the best—waiting with uncertainty.  This was the waiting that the disciples experienced.  They did not know what to expect, whether it was going to be good or bad.  They did not know how long they would have to wait. 

       That is the situation we find ourselves in.  We are hoping for the best, but fearing the worse.  We don’t know how long this will last. 

       What did the disciples do while they were waiting?  They devoted themselves to prayer and they studied the Scriptures.  It wasn’t long before their waiting was over and the Holy Spirit came with power.  

       I invite you to join me in prayer during these uncertain days.  Study the Scriptures to find hope and comfort.  We need to reminded that God is still in control, that he is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble. 

       It is not easy to wait, but remember the powerful words from Isaiah 40:  “Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”  

When the World Falls Apart We Won't Be Afraid

It took less than 24 hours for our world to fall apart.  We all heard about the Coronavirus, but it was a long way from us.  Life was going on as usual.  The ACC Tournament was back in Greensboro and Carolina finally played a complete game dominating Virginia Tech.  NC State was on the bubble, as usual, but showed great promise as they dispatched Pitt setting up yet another critical game with Duke.  

       

I attended a Minister’s meeting Wednesday morning and we talked about how the Coronavirus was beginning to change things in worship.  No more “passing the peace” in some churches and a couple of ministers said they were not going to pass the offering plate either, which I thought was a little extreme at the time.  We talked about plans for the Community Palm Sunday Celebration that would focus on the proposed “Unity Statue.”  I told the ministers that since we were rained out last Palm Sunday, I was confident April 5 would be a beautiful spring day!   We were getting a Children’s Choir together to sing “Let There Be Peace on Earth.”  It would be a grand celebration!

       

I was also planning for a great Sunday of worship on March 15.  I was preaching my “Census Sermon” that the city asked me to write.  We had invited the Mayor, the City Council, and City Administration to attend our worship.  Our wonderful Music Minister had enlisted a small orchestra and the music was going to be moving and powerful.  

       

Our Thursday morning men’s Bible Study met as usual at the YMCA and I went to Kiwanis at noon.  During the Kiwanis meeting I saw a news alert that the ACC Tournament had been cancelled.  Even though there was no basketball to watch, I was busy Thursday afternoon preparing for Sunday worship.  Then came the word that the Governor was requesting that there be no gatherings of more than 100—including churches.

       

My first thought was that since we had no known cases in Davidson County, that we should proceed as usual.  The Governor was just suggesting this guideline, it was not a mandate.  I decided to call Lillian Koontz who is our Health Department Director.  I really thought Lillian would say something like, “Ray, we need to be careful, but it’s not really an issue for us yet in Davidson County.”  But that is not what she said.  

       

Lillian told me that this was much more serious than most of us realized and it would get a lot worse before it got better.  She strongly recommended following the Governor’s guidelines.  

       

We decided to have our service on Sunday without a congregation.  Since our service would be broadcast on the radio, we would have a large audience.  We would have a choir and I would preach.   I went to bed Thursday night thinking that would be our plan.

       

Around 5 a.m. on Friday morning I got up and saw an email from my brother in Alabama.  My mother had been admitted to the hospital and was critically ill.  It didn’t look like she would make it.  

       

In less than 24 hours my world had fallen apart.  We cancelled services altogether on Sunday and replayed a previous service on the radio.  I was in Alabama saying good-bye to my mother.

       

The COVID-19 crisis is escalating every day.  Schools are out and no one knows when they will return.   Life for everyone has been turned upside down.   But in a strange way, sitting by my mother’s hospital bed and waiting for her to die was a reminder that God is still in control.  There is a time to be born and a time to die and it was my mother’s time.  I was with her on Tuesday when she took her final breath.  I knew I was on Holy Ground.  Her death is a blessing because she is released from the limitations and the awful curse of Alzheimer’s that has dominated her life in recent years.  

       

The 46^th Psalm reads: “God is our refuge and strength, a help always near in times of great trouble.  That’s why we won’t be afraid when the world falls apart . . .” (CEB). 

       

In these unprecedented times of great trouble in which our world is falling apart, don’t be afraid.  God is our refuge and strength.  He is with us.

Davidson County Has Every Reason to Celebrate Black History Month

        The month of February is celebrated as Black History Month because both Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12) and Frederick Douglass (Feb. 14) had February birthdays.  But here in Davidson County we have our own remarkable reasons to celebrate. 

        Davidson County had a population of 16,601 in 1860.  This number included 3,076 slaves and 147 free people of color.  It is hard to believe that 160 years ago over 18% of our county’s population was slaves.  It probably will not surprise you to learn that nearly 2,000 Davidson County men fought for the Confederacy, but you may be surprised to know that many local people were opposed to the war.  There was a peace rally in Thomasville in 1862.  

        The post-war south was difficult for everyone, white and black, but at least there were schools for white children.  It was almost six decades after the war before black children had a school of their own.  Julius Rosenwald, the self-educated son of a German-Jewish immigrant had become a multi-millionaire as President of Sears Roebuck.   He wanted to address the inequality that black citizens experienced in the south by building schools.  There were 813 Rosenwald Schools in North Carolina, including Dunbar School on 4^th Street in Lexington that opened in 1924. 

        Rosenwald’s next project was to provide public library services for black citizens.  The Davidson County Public Library opened in 1928, but was in serious financial distress.  The Rosenwald Foundation offered the county financial assistance on the condition that services would be provided to all citizens, regardless of race.  At the time around 10% of the county’s 40,000 citizens were black.  In the summer of 1929, two new branches of the Davidson County Library opened to serve the African-American population.  When this happened, our county became the first county, not just in North Carolina, but the entire south to offer public library services to all of our citizens—an amazing accomplishment!  And the first month the new branches were open, black citizens checked out 4,000 books.  That was one book for every African-American in the county!

        In 1951, Dr. Lacy Caple became the first African-American dentist in Lexington.  He was an early advocate for civil rights along with Harvey Henderson, Rev. A. T. Evans and Rev. F. D. Betts.  In 1958, Dunbar High School won the first of three state football championships under the leadership of Coach Charlie England. 

        In 1963, the Lexington “Race Riot” received international attention after a man was killed.  No one who was present that night will ever forget the fear that they experienced.  The News Media had already left town when only one week later the Lexington City Council ordered the immediate desegregation of all city offices.  A bi-racial council was formed to find ways to work together.  Four years later all schools in Davidson County were totally integrated.   

 Rev. Dr. Arnetta Beverly became the first African-American to be elected to the Lexington City Council in 1987 and in 2002 the Davidson County Commissioners voted to approve the Martin Luther King. Jr. Holiday. 

There have been many brave and courageous men and women of all races who have worked for equality and justice through the years.   There have been times of great progress and there have also been times that we have failed to love our neighbors as ourselves.  There will always be those who are insensitive and those whose hearts are full of hatred which is why it is so important for us to focus on our accomplishments and the positive efforts to bring about justice for all.  Light is always stronger than the darkness and love is always stronger than hate. 

I hope you will join me in celebrating the many wonderful accomplishments of African-Americans and others who have worked for racial reconciliation and unity.   No, we are not where we should be, but thank the good Lord we are not where we used to be.  We keep moving forward, even though there are setbacks.  We keep striving to reach the goal of a society where all people are respected because we have been created equal.  Every person is an individual of worth because all of us, of every color and every culture, have been created in the Image of God.  One day we pray we will reach our goal where there will be true liberty and justice for all!

Leading From the Divide or Leading From the Dream

       This past weekend as our nation remembered the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., there were millions of references to his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech.  I can still remember as a nine year-old boy being riveted to the grainy image on my grandmother’s black and white television.  My heart soared with Dr. King’s lofty rhetoric and I knew that I wanted to be a part of that dream!

        His famous speech almost never happened.  The scripted speech on that hot, muggy August day in 1963 centered on the image of a “bad check.” America had failed on its promise of liberty and justice for all.  Black Americans had received a bad check and it was time to demand restitution.  After enumerating the different ways that America had failed her minority citizens, the prepared script had Dr. King calling on the crowd to “go back to our communities as members of the international association of creative dissatisfaction.” 

        Can you imagine school children 50 years later reciting a speech calling for creative dissatisfaction?  

        The arguably greatest speech of the 20^th century was not planned; it was the result Dr. King’s willingness to improvise and his gifted genius as a skilled orator. 

        The speech that was planned and scripted was not going well.  The huge crowd was hot, tired, and impatient.  The dedicated reformer’s words were falling flat.  Right before he spoke, the great Gospel singer Mahalia Jackson sang and she was standing close to him as he stepped up to the podium.  She could tell that something wasn’t right as he struggled with his words and in a moment than can only be explained as divine intervention she cried out, “Tell them about the dream, Martin!  Tell them about the dream!” 

        What happened next was a moment that changed history.  Observers said that Dr. King’s body language and his demeanor changed.  He ceased to be a lecturer—he pushed his prepared notes aside and he became a powerful preacher.  He was no longer speaking from his head, but from his heart.   Everything changed with his transformative words, “I have a dream today.” 

        There is a powerful lesson in leadership in what happened that day in our nation’s capital.  We can choose to lead from the divide, or we can lead from the dream.  African- Americans didn’t need anyone to tell them that they had received a bad check in 1963.  They saw it every day in segregated schools, restaurants, water fountains, buses and neighborhoods.  The prepared speech was only reinforcing their dissatisfaction and sending them home with a mission to make their problems known.

        This seems to be the default type of leadership we see today.  It focuses on what is wrong and delineates a clear separation between people of differing views.  It plays on people’s fears and results in reactionary defenses.  It fosters an “us against them” mentality.  We see the result of this type of leadership playing out at the highest levels.

        There is a better way, a much better way.  In that split-second decision when Dr. King pushed his notes aside, he radically altered his leadership approach and it resulted in the defining moment of the civil-rights movement.  In speaking of the dream and not the divide, he was suddenly appealing to all Americans, not just those who had been disenfranchised.  In that Providential second of destiny and fate, it was fitting that he was standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial because Dr. Martin Luther King was now appealing to “the better angels of our nature.”

        Leading from the dream lifts people up, it doesn’t put people down.  It inspires people rather than inciting them.  It is unifying, not divisive.  Focusing on the dream is liberating, not oppressive. 

        People all across this land were inspired and moved by Dr. King’s soaring rhetoric including a nine year-old white boy in Alabama.  That was the day that I wanted Dr. King’s dream to become my dream.  And while I didn’t realize it at the time, that was the day I learned that the most effective leadership is found when we lead from the dream, not the divide.

Start the New Year with a Box of Luden's Cough Drops

       Whenever I see Luden’s Cough Drops in the store I have this great desire to purchase a box, even if I don’t have a cough.  It takes me back to the 4^th grade when the most popular kid in the class was the one with the box of Luden’s. 

We were not allowed to bring candy to class, but this was medicine—right?   Watch a kid start coughing and bring out a box of Luden’s.  Remember what happened?  Every other kid sitting close to him also starting coughing and the next thing you knew, the newly anointed most popular kid was passing out Luden’s Cough Drops to all of his friends. 

There is a reason that Luden’s Cough Drops taste a lot like candy.  In its heyday, in addition to the much desired cough drops, the company produced more than 500 varieties of candy.  Sure, they do help a little if you have a cough, but their greatest benefit is being able to share something good with your friends.

I think I will buy a box of Luden’s for the New Year.  It’s always good to have something to share.  There are some more important boxes that need sharing in the New Year, beginning with the box of kindness. 

I can’t think of anything we need more in today’s world than kindness. There is something that is more important than being right and that is being kind.  Kindness is contagious.  Be kind to someone, and they will be kind to you. Kindness can not only make a difference in our world, it can transform it. 

Along with kindness, we need to have a box of compassion.  Compassion is powerful because it enables us to defeat indifference, intolerance, and injustice.   Compassion is impossible unless we place ourselves in the situation that evokes our concern.  When we do, we are able to treat everyone as equals, realizing that every human being is a person of worth, created in the image of God.  Acts of compassion can transform people, both the one who gives and the one who receives.  Compassion is the bond that unites all of humanity.   

The New Year is a great time for us to focus on the needs of others and make a positive difference.  When we do, we realize that our problems are not as big as we imagine them to be.  We also find a tremendous amount of fulfillment and well being, knowing that we can give hope to many who are suffering.  It felt good to be the most popular kid in the class, passing out those Luden’s Cough Drops.  It feels good as an adult to know that you are passing out the gifts of kindness, compassion, love, and mercy to those who have great needs.

There is one more thing I need to go.  I believe I will buy some boxes of civility and cooperation and send them to our friends in government.  We place our hand over our heart and pledge that we are “one nation, under God.”  Is this still true?  The poisonous rancor of division and hatred has replaced reason and cooperation.  The art of political compromise has been lost in a sea of vitriol and acrimony.  I pray that we will see the day when our leaders will show respect and have a sense of dignity for those with differing views.  Until then it is impossible to have a government “of the people, by the people and for the people.” 

The great German pastor and Christian martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote that we should “Live every day as if it were our last, yet live in faith and responsibility as though there were a great future.”  I would add to have a box of Luden’s Cough Drops so that you will have something good to share!   Happy New Year!

I Thought I Knew the Story of Silent Night: I Didn't

       Disaster struck at the Baptist Church back in the ‘80s.  The majestic pipe organ stopped playing just days before the big Christmas Eve service.  Our venerable organist, Miss Mabel (bless her heart), was in a tizzy. 

        Back in the day when I was working at the Baptist Church in LA (Lower Alabama), the organ quit and the deacons employed Leroy’s Machine Shop to rig up a replacement motor.  That story did not have a happy ending so I advised our deacons to contact the organ company.  But there was no way we would have an organ for the Christmas Eve service.

        Miss bless-her-heart Mabel was inconsolable.  She had planned a grand Prelude, a powerful rendition of Panis Angelicus that she had been rehearsing for months.  I told her that while we were saddened we would not be able to hear her masterpiece, we could still make this a memorable service.  I could tell the story of Silent Night—how the Priest discovered the organ was broken on Christmas Eve morning and he hurriedly wrote some words and then had the organist to compose a tune that they played on a guitar.  Since our organ was broken we could close our service by singing Silent Night, accompanied by a guitar.   

        That was exactly what we did.  People thought it was the best Christmas Eve service ever, much to Miss bless-her-heart Mabel’s chagrin!  It would be 35 years before I discovered that I had the story all wrong. 

        In May, we visited Obendorf, the birthplace of Silent Night.  The minute we stepped off the train we felt like we were in a fairy tale.  This idyllic Austrian village was friendly, neat, and clean. The Salzach River winds through this beautiful hamlet with the breathtaking snow-covered Alps in the distance. Five months earlier they had celebrated the 200^th anniversary of the iconic Christmas carol and it was evident they had gone all out to accommodate the multitude of visitors.

        A small chapel rests on the site where Silent Night was first heard.  A hand-carved nativity and two beautiful stained glass windows create a quiet and peaceful sanctuary.  The windows honor Father Joseph Mohr, the Parish Priest, and Franz Gruber, the organist of St. Nicholas Church.   Two centuries ago the town was in a crisis.  The bargers made their living transporting salt down the river to Salzburg, but the river had flooded and the bargers were helpless.

        Father Mohr was a man of the people.  He visited their taverns where he ate and drank with them and sang their festive songs.  On Christmas Eve he was thinking about their desperate plight when he remembered a poem he had written two years before during a time of crisis in a previous Parish.  It was the year of 1816, the summer without a sun, as the entire Northern hemisphere was suffering from a global disaster resulting from a super-volcanic eruption in faraway Indonesia.  The volcanic ash had circled the earth, blocking the sun and creating a natural disaster resulting in starvation, poverty, and death. 

        Father Mohr found solace in front of a painting of the holy family.  He reflected on the contrast of the heavenly peace of the Nativity and the pain and suffering that he and his people were experiencing.  He wrote “Silent Night, Holy Night, all is calm, all is bright . . .”   

        Finding the words he wrote two years earlier, he went to see his friend Franz Gruber.  Agreeing to compose the music, they decided that they would sing the new song after the Christmas Eve service was over, for a guitar would not be appropriate for formal worship.

        When the Christmas Eve service ended in Obendorf in 1818, no one left the church.  Father Mohr and Mr. Gruber stood before the people and for the first and only time, sang the words that would touch millions of people for the next two centuries.  It wasn’t that the organ was broken; it was that the spirits of the people were broken and this compassionate Priest wanted to leave them with comfort and hope.

        Silent Night is now the most popular Christmas carol of all time.  Tonight, on Christmas Eve, we will sing these beautiful words again.  May they continue to bring comfort, hope, and heavenly peace.

I Was "Little Brother" Growing Up in My Sister's Shadow

        I was probably four or five years old before I knew I had a name.  Because I had an older sister, I was simply called “Little Brother.”   My sister, Nancy, was three years older and I grew up in her shadow.

        Nancy was a brilliant student.  I don’t think she ever made a B in school.  She graduated as Valedictorian of her High School class and number one in her Law School class.  That was a tough act for me to follow!

        The first day of school usually went something like this:  “Oh, you are Nancy’s little brother.  She’s so smart.  I’m sure you are just as smart as she is.”

        Wrong!

        Not that I was a bad student, but growing up in my sister’s shadow was an ominous burden to bear.  Education was always a priority for us.  We attended elementary school in a building that had our great-grandfather’s name on the cornerstone.  Our principal, “Fessor Burleson,” taught our father and our grandfather.  Our grandmother taught in a one-room schoolhouse and our father was on the School Board.  Yes, education was very important.

But even more important was our faith.  We had a great-grandfather who was a Baptist minister.  Our father was a deacon in the church and taught Sunday School.  Our mother worked with mission groups.  Our grandmother was in charge of the Missionary Society and I always had a suspicion that she really ran the church!  Our church was not just a part of our life; it was the foundation of our life. 

My sister excelled in church just as she did in school.  Once again, I was “Little Brother” who was growing up in her shadow.  But as I look back on it now, I realize that growing up in her shadow was not detrimental, but instrumental—for she set the standard for excellence and I was always inspired to work a little harder, to climb a little higher, to run a little faster because my big sister inspired me to give my very best.

        My big sister was always there for me when we were growing up.  Her legacy not only preceded me through Elementary and High School, but when I enrolled in Samford University, she enrolled in their law school.  She married after   graduating from Law School and asked me to perform the wedding.  I didn’t have a clue what to do, but I had been trying to keep up with my big sister my whole life and I wasn’t going to let her down now.  When she moved away to New York I realized that for the first time in my life, I was no longer in my sister’s shadow.   

        She was a busy lawyer in New York and later in Alabama.  I was a busy minister in North Carolina.  As the years went by we grew apart.  Over twenty years ago my sister was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.  She battled valiantly and courageously until four weeks ago when the battle ended.    

My nieces and nephews asked me to speak at her funeral service.  While I conduct funerals on a regular basis as a minister, this was different.  I felt as inadequate as I did when she asked me to perform her wedding.  But this was my big sister and once again, I wasn’t about to let her down.

        My thoughts went back to those formative years when I was simply, “Little Brother.”  The shadow that she cast over me was one of exceptional achievement.  Within that shadow I learned about hard work, honesty, integrity, commitment, and loyalty.  Together our family and our faith community instilled deep and lasting spiritual values within us.  We learned about service, sacrifice, compassion, forgiveness, and faith. 

        As I stood before her church family in Tuscaloosa and later in our hometown cemetery, I felt her shadow over me once again.  Only this time her shadow was not an ominous burden to bear, but a comforting presence that surrounded me with faith, hope, and love.  And because of those values that I learned within her shadow, I could share the good news that my big sister had fought the good fight, she had finished her course, and she kept the faith.  Once again, she has excelled!