by Greg | May 31, 2010 | Blog Posts
It is hard to believe a week has passed since leaving Augusta. Tomorrow starts our second week in Rome. Our day began fast and furious with a wake-up call (annoying alarm clock) at 6 am. While I think I got the full eight hours of sleep Clark and Aaron said they were well into the early morning hours before they fell asleep. By the time our bodies adjust it will no doubt be time to head back home. We caught our bus at 6:45 and were deposited right beside the Tiber River where we walked for about a half an hour until reaching our ultimate destination – the Vatican City. Since we had a few minutes extra before meeting up with the rest of the class, we enjoyed a brief breakfast of rolls and coffee. Aaron attempted to order milk and was presented with latte. He gave up, and I enjoyed an extra beverage. The time to visit the Vatican Museum is early in the morning. The crowds were not nearly the size they were when we left around 2:30. There are no words or space to describe our six hours in the Museum. I confess that for both boys this may have been too much, but it was not nearly enough time to spend with all the artifacts, paintings, frescoes, sculptures and tapestries. There were a few surprises I would like to share with you. Their section for religious modern art was quite good. I saw paintings by Weber, Klee, Chagall, Bianchini and my favorite – Dali. There were probably many more that I missed but I honestly...
by Greg | May 30, 2010 | Blog Posts
Due to what I assume are the lingering affects of jet lag, I am having enormous trouble getting to sleep at night. We sleep with our windows open and although it is a fairly quiet neighborhood, we can still hear neighbors talking, babies crying, dogs barking, etc.. Then again, it may be all the espresso and cappuccino I am drinking everyday. Speaking of espresso, our apartment has one of those stovetop espresso pots and thanks to “wiki-answers” I figured out how to use it. We enjoyed several cups for breakfast this morning with our toast, eggs and fresh strawberries. Today being Sunday I felt a bit out of sorts for a couple of reasons. First, I was not preaching. With the exception of summer vacation I am most always behind the pulpit either here at FBC or by invitation at another church. Secondly, we had no place to go to church this morning which I know sounds strange in a city like Rome. In our neighborhood, however, I have no idea where the nearest church is and I am certain that the closest church will be both Catholic and in Italian. This reinforced to me the importance of sharing community with a local church, which I always miss when I am away from FBC regardless of the circumstances. Worship on Sunday came for me not in a traditional service but through visiting – or actually revisiting – some churches in the Trastevere area of Rome. I am positive that you, careful reader, have already noted that is where I visited yesterday, and of course you are correct. Amy and...
by Greg | May 29, 2010 | Blog Posts
It has been another beautiful day in the Eternal City. The local forecasters called for rain and it has remained sunny all day – some things, like predicting the weather, are international. Since today is Saturday there was not a scheduled class, but Michael Schwartz led a “field trip” for anyone interested to the Trastevere section of Rome. This meant that I needed to be up and waiting on the bus by 6:45 AM. It also meant that I was going to travel alone to meet up with Dr. Schwartz and the others. I left early because this was a completely new section to me, located just west of the Tiber River and south of Vatican City. I reached the agreed meeting spot with time to spare so I took advantage of the extra minutes by indulging in what would amount to three cups of cappuccino. Needed some more euros to tide us over for the weekend, I asked the barista owner for the nearest “bancomatic” or ATM. He was kind enough to walk me down the block and show me how to enter the bank in order to use the machine (I would have never figured this out because you have to slide your card along a reader outside the door, whereupon it opens automatically and leaves you securely inside to do your business). Three students and one other professor joined Schwartz for the full day before us. Trastevere, according to guidebooks, is considered by its inhabitants as the most authentically Roman. I am not qualified to make a judgment call on that, but it was filled with...
by Greg | May 28, 2010 | Blog Posts
The day began like all other days since arriving in Rome; gentle sunshine and mild temperatures. In fact, I do not think it has gone above the mid-70s in temperature. Since everyone else in our flat was asleep I decided to stretch my legs out a bit and of for a walk, which is kind of odd since that is all we have been doing this past week. I also was in search of a good cup of coffee. The apartment does not come with a coffee maker since the locals either make their own espresso or go out and buy a cup. At the last minute I bought about a dozen Starbucks instant coffee packets which Amy and I are trying to ration out. After about a block I stopped at a small coffee shop and had a cappuccino along with a croissant fresh out of the oven – all for about $2.50! I sat at a table and attempted to read the sports section of an Italian newspaper. About all I can report is that two soccer teams played but I have no idea who won. Speaking of soccer, we evidently have some neighbors that love soccer because they were up until midnight watching a game. They were loud and raucous and obviously having a good time. It was well after midnight before I drifted off to sleep. Once everyone was up and email checked we darted for the bus. By now a gentle rain had started and we realized that while we packed rain gear, we brought none of it with us for the day’s events....
by Greg | May 27, 2010 | Blog Posts
I have an apartment full of sleepy-heads – but then again they may think Dad is an insomniac. I, however, slept well and there was ready to go pretty early. Amy and I let the boys sleep a bit while we walked a few blocks to grocery shop. I am not sure how clear I have been in describing where we live, but let me add one other detail: no one speaks a morsel of English. In fact my Italian (which is nothing more than a Rick Steve’s cheat sheet) is better than local’s English. I have discovered that Clark has quite a knack with languages and has done a much better job than dad in helping us communicate. Yesterday he was very embarrassed by me when I said to a waiter: “grazie ya’ll.” Anyway, back to the grocery store: we bought some meat that looked like bacon but we found out tasted like prosciutto; some eggs; ciabatta bread; and some very tasty strawberries. No great surprise, but few things were recognizable including milk, juices, or even basic cuts of meat. Every meal is a surprise! After a late breakfast or early lunch, we walked to our bus stop and soon boarded. It is fun mixing with locals, especially when they are patient in showing us the basics, like how to properly insert your bus card and when your stop is approaching. It makes me feel good that we can provide the good citizens of Rome with so much entertainment and so many stories that they can share with their families at night. Our first tour/lecture did not begin...
by Greg | May 26, 2010 | Blog Posts
What a day! Well I should actually begin by saying our night was a restful one with a solid 8 hours from most of us. Aaron slept, as near as I could calculate, about 20. I was up around 7 AM and took a walk around our neighborhood to snoop and site see. It is definately a working class place with not much in the way of culture, but it was fun to people watch. Anyone that has traveled with me knows that my method includes getting lost and making new and interesting discoveries. Well, I did not happen upon anything covert or particularly noteworthy, but I did find a morning market selling fresh produce. I saw some of the biggest asparagus ever. Following a light breakfast of toast and apricot jelly we boarded the local bus and took a twenty minute ride to the city center. All I can say about seeing Rome for the first time is – wow. (yes, I know that is not a very academic word coming from a guy that is suppose to be on a study leave, but…well, wow!) We wandered around Rome for the next six hours just trying to understand how the streets are laid out and its patterns – there are no patterns in Rome. We enjoyed a great lunch of pasta dishes and pizza followed by the great European dessert – gellato! At 4 we joined Dr. Michael Scwartz, another faculty from Augusta State University and nine college students and toured several churches, including the great Pantheon. I have read and studied Carvaggio, Raphael, Bernnini and other great...
by Greg | May 25, 2010 | Blog Posts
The flight was happily uneventful and we arrived safe and sound in Rome this morning around 8:15. The good news is that we have the whole day before us. The challenge, of course, is staying awake so that we can have a better chance at a good night’s rest. Let me tell you, it is not easy. We took a harrowing cab ride from the airport to our apartment. Winding through the streets of Rome in a minivan was far more dangerous than our entire flight. Our apartment is a 15 minute bus ride from the city center. It is located in a residential neighborhood congested with similar apartment buildings. While not picturesque, it is more than adequate and we are only needing it for sleeping. At an effort to keep the eyelids open we walked a few blocks and found a nice place to eat a few servings of pasta followed by a shot of espresso (this was Clark’s first espresso. Amy passed and Aaron elected to stay in the apartment and engage in his favorite hobby – sleeping.) Tomorrow will be a full day, so I hope to have a bit more content as well as some pictures. I am gratefull to my First Baptist Family in allowing me this time away to take part in this study leave. I am most blessed among pastors. Peace,...
by Greg | May 18, 2010 | Blog Posts
As of this writing I have two teenagers that are eagerly counting down the days until the last day of school. Now that I think about it, I suppose there are teachers, administrators, and parents doing the same thing. Even though the approaching last day of school does not make much of a difference in what I do, I find myself anticipating with a bit of excitement that mark of completion of another year in the life of my children. They have gotten a bit taller, learned a few more things (most of which is constructive) and are one year closer to moving out of our home and beginning their own journey. The end of school also marks beginnings for many of us. Do you remember as a child day-dreaming about all that you wanted to do that summer? Sleeping late, riding bikes, swims at the lake, and vacation tantalized the thoughts of many a child in the waning days of the school year. What are your plans this summer; more of the same or new adventures? I am looking forward to my sabbatical leave, which I will write more about next week. Clark will go from part time work to full time, which may or may not be something he is looking to doing. Aaron will be in conditioning training for football, so most of his days will be full. With the long days I plan to read a few more books and pick tomatoes and peppers in the evenings. I suppose by the end of July Amy will be counting down the days until school starts back...
by Greg | May 12, 2010 | Blog Posts
…Plenty, if the first name is Erik. I admit that for most of us Erik Weihenmayer is not exactly a household name like Elvis Presley or Lewis Grizzard. Erik’s face was on the cover of newspapers and magazines about ten years ago. He became the first man ever to summit Mt. Everest – blind. Even for the best of climbers there is a one in six chance of death when attempting to summit the highest peak in the world. What are the odds when blind? I love to read stories of epic adventures. This morning I finished a book by the title In the Wake of the Jomon: Stone Age Mariners and a Voyage across the Pacific. The author, Jon Turk, retraces this ancient voyage of 3000 miles in a kayak! (I thought circling little and big Tybee Island was tough) Several years ago I read a book about Chris McCandless. The book, Into the Wild, is based on the true-life story of Chris, who, upon graduating Emory, hitchhiked all the way into the bush country of Alaska. Four months later moose hunters discovered his body. Some who set their faces towards adventure meet triumphal outcomes and others meet tragedy. When I reflect over my life, about the most adventuresome thing I ever did was con one of my “city friends” from town into thinking you could actually tip over a sleeping cow (contrary to the urban myth, there is no such thing as cow-tipping). Boy was that cow mad – and fast too! While I have no plans to hike into the backcountry of Alaska or summit Everest,...
by Greg | May 4, 2010 | Blog Posts
I wish. MoonPies are tasty and good for you…well, they are tasty. I would proudly tout their product. Alas, the makers of the MoonPie have not come calling and besides this space is not for sale. A few years ago in a New York Times article the focus was on the number of ads we see each day – about 5000. We are well accustomed to seeing advertisements on billboards and television commercials, but nowadays it seems every available space is for sale. Not so long ago I actually saw an advertisement for a church (not in this city) on – are you sure you are ready for this? – a urinal deodorizer! Sure, I noticed the ad and the name of the church but now I definitely don’t want to go there. Imagine what this could look like for the church. On Sundays when I step behind the pulpit I could begin the message by saying, “This sermon is brought to you today by Starbucks Coffee…” and then I could take a sip from my mug for the purpose of product placement. For certain endorsements I could preach on specific sermon topics. How about having brand placements on the baptistery from a pool cleaning company or sing hymns set to commercial jingles. Can you just imagine a big neon slogan perched on top of the steeple? Now that I think about it, I don’t want to imagine any of this! Advertisers are latching on to the concept of lifestyle marketing. The basic idea being that they are more likely to convince a buyer to purchase their product if...
by Greg | Apr 28, 2010 | Blog Posts
A denomination (not Baptist) has as their slogan: “God is still speaking.” That is certainly Biblical when you consider the many times God breaks into the scene and because of this people begin to imagine new possibilities of living and relating. All week long I have been working on my sermon for this Sunday and I am wondering about God still speaking. Yes, I believe God speaks to me (and hopefully through me) for the sermon. But specifically I am wrestling with how God is speaking in Acts 11 where Peter is “explaining himself” to the Jerusalem Church. The problem was the Gentiles. Not all of them, just the ones who, and here I am quoting, “accepted the word of God.” (Acts 11:1) This meant that Peter and the others were rethinking what it would mean to live and relate with others, specifically the Gentile believers. Peter concludes with these powerful words: “Who was I that I could hinder God?” (Acts 11:17b) I wonder about me; how do I attempt to hinder God and therefore stand in the way of God speaking something fresh and alive? What about you? Do you think God is still speaking? Of course this can all get rather dangerous, right? Many times I have heard people tell me something like, “the Lord told me…” in order to defend their prejudices or personal views. Hmmm….this whole business of God speaking can be tricky. It would be easier to just believe that “God said it, I believe it, and that is that.” Yet if God is still speaking that means there is more to be said....
by Greg | Apr 22, 2010 | Blog Posts
What is the “face” of a church? Bearded? Bespectacled? Steepled? Bricked? Anglo? African-American? Young? Old? Formal? Casual? Traditional? Modern? American? Latino? You and I know that there is no one face to the church which the Bible refers to as the body of Christ. There are many faces. This past Sunday the congregation of First Baptist Church welcomed 29 new faces to our church family who joined our membership. It was a great response for a single Sunday. What a gift we have been given with these who have come to call First Baptist church their home. They were of differnet ages, gender and ethnicity. No one face is “the” face of FBC but all of the faces help paint a more complete picture. Your face is part of the larger family too, wherever you worship. First Baptist has adopted the stewardship theme: “I am First Baptist Church” and throughout 2010 and 2011 we will celebrate the many images and faces that make up FBC. Of course our church’s theme could be any church’s theme. What do you picture or imagine when you here the words, “I am the church”? To the ancient but cosmopolitan city of Corinth, Paul the Apostle wrote to the church: “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body– Jews or Greeks, slaves or free– and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 14 Indeed, the body does not consist...
by Greg | Apr 13, 2010 | Blog Posts
Second to The Masters tournament itself, Tiger Woods has been the center of attention this past week. It should be stated from the outset that many, many are pleased in Phil Mickelson’s win. He seems to be a fine man, devoted to his wife, and humble in character. Somewhere in the shadow of Mickelson’s victory, however, is Tiger Woods. When Tiger won his first Masters he was 21 scoring 12 under par (I am not sure what that means) which at the time set a record for the course and he was the first African-American to win a major golf event. That was in 1997. Since that time Tiger Woods has dominated attention both on the golf course and off. There is no need to repeat the last four months of sad news related to Tiger Woods. Needless to say, his return to the golf course has been met by cheers, jeers, planes, and pundits Many people love him; many people revile him; and many people just ignore him. I have wondered what it must be like to live as Tiger Woods: every expression analyzed; every action judged; and every decision questioned. Now he is back and although he did not win The Masters he is still indisputably a great golfer. I sat there amazed that he could even focus long enough to finish a round of golf with all the world watching. What can we learn about ourselves through Tiger Woods? He who is without sin cast the first golf ball? Issues of choices, sin, passing judgment and consequences come to mind. So do redemption, restoration and hope....
by Greg | Mar 30, 2010 | Blog Posts
Remember when you were a child and you made your first friend in school? Our earliest memories remind us of the importance of friendships. Everyone needs a friend and so good friends are a gift. Amy and are blessed to call on several as our dear friends. Each summer we vacation together and catch up on one another’s lives. For the rest of the year we are busy raising children, working our jobs and from time to time going to funerals. You see we are at that age where many our parents are also at that age. I just returned from one such funeral of the father of one of our friends. We all sat on a pew together and thought about our own fathers, some living and some that have passed on. Of course, that is what friends are for – sharing together in one another’s lives. The interesting thing about our friends is that we are in many respects quite different. We live in different cities: Birmingham, Atlanta and Augusta. We work different jobs ranging from sales to homemaking. In our group are Baptists, Episcopalians, and non-denominational. We have different political views, effectively canceling out one another’s votes each election. What holds us together is common love and respect for each other. “Friends” was how Jesus referred to his followers. “You are my friends,” Jesus says to those who would be called later to lay down their lives for one another. The Greek word for “friend” in the Gospel is philos, a word that theologian Raymond Brown translates as beloved. In the Gospel of John the two...
by Greg | Mar 18, 2010 | Blog Posts
Now that the days are getting longer and the weather is getting warmer (well, slightly warmer anyway), my mind has been wandering to the back yard. Specifically I have been glancing towards my raised vegetable bed. Currently I still have a mess or two of collards left from the fall planting. Soon I will be picking the last of the collards and preparing the ground for tomatoes and peppers. The problem I have, however, is that I do not have enough room for all the things I want to plant. Sooooo….I have built another raised bed. The biggest challenge in building another bed is hauling the lumber from the store to my house. I do not own a pick-up and I am too cheap to rent one. Of course this is not a problem if you do not mind hauling lumber on top of the car – and I did not have a problem. My kayak straps secured down all my planks and 4x4s on the top of my MINI just fine. Who needs a pick-up? My next challenge will be getting fresh manure transported for fertilizer. Is it any wonder that Rodger Murchison does not want to ride in my car? The season is about investing in the future. When the garden is planted, I then dream of fresh tomatoes and basil. We all do this in one way or another. Some go and buy new clothes (remember Easter outfits?) and in wearing them feel themselves renewed. People charge into spring cleaning their homes to cast off the old and refresh all things as new. I believe that...
by Greg | Mar 2, 2010 | Blog Posts
As you can imagine, meal times are pretty important around the DeLoach Ranch. I am certain has been true for many generations. My grandfather’s favorite table blessing went something like this: “Bless the Meat, even the bones/Got anymore, bring it on.” While we giggled my grandmother glared disapprovingly in his direction. We DeLoaches love eating and we love eating as a family. Mealtimes were not a picture from the canvas of Norman Rockwell. My grandmother’s house did not have a dining room, or china, or linen napkins. We (seven of us) all ate in the kitchen crammed around a table fighting over the last biscuit and working our way in and out of the unfolding flow of conversation. We discussed politics, religion, grades, feed prices and milk prices, but mostly we laughed, fussed, and teased. In other words, we were a family and the table centered us. One by one we grew up, some of us moved away and all of us married. Both my grandparents are now deceased and my father has since remarried. Still, from time to time, we come back home bringing our own children and our own stories and find a place at the table. In fact, we need several tables when we all show up. As a husband and father meal times are just as important for me as they were in my childhood. True, we are busy with church, sports and school, but we strive hard to prioritize eating together for breakfast and supper. Soon both of my sons will be driving and it will not be long before they too will move...
by Greg | Feb 17, 2010 | Blog Posts
February 17, 2010 Matthew 6:1 “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 “So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 5 “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6 But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you… … 16 “And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Ash Wednesday, today, marks the...
by Greg | Feb 8, 2010 | Blog Posts
I suppose keeping a blog already hints that one has to have a pretty inflated ego to think that others may be interested in what I am writing. It seems I am only adding to that suspicion by offering a list of books that I read last year by further assuming you may be interested. Nonetheless it is part of my job as a pastor to read and any reader likes to share with others good books as well as not so good books. I have finally finished my list from last year and post it for you to mull over. I confess up front, not every book I read was, in my limited opinion, a good book. Some books listed, like “Walden” I have re-read (and in that particular case, I have re-read “Walden” many times. Some books are new releases, like “South of Broad” (which I did not particularly care for. I am not sure what is going on with Pat Conroy) and others are old classics, such as “The Wilderness World of John Muir.” I will be happy to dialogue with anyone interested concerning any of the books listed. Non-Fiction Unpacking Boxes, by Donald Hall Final Exam: A Surgeon’s Reflection on Mortality, by Pauline W. Chen The Universe in a Single Atom: The Convergence of Science and Spirituality, by Tenzin Gyatso Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, by Robert Pirsig The Book of Dead Philosophers, by Simon Critchley Brother to a Dragonfly, by Will Campbell Walden, Henry David Thoreau The Wilderness World of John Muir, by John Muir and Edwin Way Teale 1776, David McCullough...
by Greg | Jan 13, 2010 | Blog Posts
Today was our “free” day and I believe everyone spent their time well. I cannot speak for the others but I spend the day primarily by myself wandering the streets of Jerusalem. particularly in the Old City, people watching, visiting the Dome of the Rock, and revisiting several places that I wanted to learn more about. By the time we all returned (or most of us anyway!) for supper, everyone was chattering excitedly about their adventures. Tonight it is pack up and prrepare for our flight home – and it is a doozy! Wake up call is at 1AM, coffee and danishes at 1:45, and leave our hotel no later than 2:30. We fly from Tel Aviv to Vienna, change plans and fly to Dulles, change planes again and arrive into Atlanta by 11:37pm. I hope to be home by 3 AM Friday morning. As long as we all arrive safe I will be happy -tired, but happy. This will be my last blog entry for our Holy Land Wanderings. Thank you all for reading and sharing in our great pilgrimage. this has been extrordinarily special to share this place and journey with so many from our church. I am blessed indeed. See you Sunday! (I will try to find my ties)...
by Greg | Jan 12, 2010 | Blog Posts
Today most in the group are realizing that touring the Holy Land is tiring. Nontheless all hands were on deck for breakfast at 6:30 and on the bus by 8. We drove for about an hour south of Jerusalem and along the way to our destination passed by the famous excavations of Qumran, the site of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls is one of the most significant archeological finds pertaining to scripture to date. We made our way to the remains of Masada, the fortress built by Herod the Great.It was quite a massive building project. It was the site of the Jewish revolt which ended in mass suicide when the Romans broke through approximately 73 AD. The surrounding arid and dry land is a striking contrast to the verdant green we experienced just a few short days ago. Our next stop was a real treat as we entered into one of the world’s oldest cities – Jericho. First, as we did when entering Bethlehem, we had to change buses, since Jericho is controlled by Palestinians. It is more like a small town than a city, with a population of about 20,000. The roads, houses, and people are quite poor by our standards, yet the markets were busy. We had a good lunch of traditionally fare and at the top of the restuarant there was a great view of the Mount of Temptation, the traditional location of Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness as he was tempted by Satan. Beneath the shadows of the Mount of Temptation several found the...
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