by Greg | Jan 11, 2013 | Blog Posts
Last night I was tickled to see that the hummus bar was back. It is just that delicious that I spend time and space writing about it. I am thinking about recreating something similar for our Wednesday night selection. Friday morning began with a wake up call at 6, breakfast at 7 and on the bus for Cana at 8. Cana is a rather congested town dedicated in part to celebrate the first miracle of Jesus – turning water into wine at a wedding. The village of Cana is only mentioned in the Gospel of John. The problem is that scholars do not agree as to whether this is the exact location of the original Cana. The Romans destroyed the original Cana during the great Jewish revolt around 66 AD. The Cana we visited today was one of three probable locations. Nonetheless it serves as an important place to reflect on the extravagance of God through this first miracle as well as the reach of God through the healing of the royal official’s son. We toured through the Church of the Wedding commemorating this first miracle. We boarded the bus and traveled 15 minutes to the City of Nazareth. During the time of Jesus Nazareth was nothing more than a small, isolated village with just over 400 residences. It was religiously and politically unimportant, which is striking when we consider the world-wide impact Jesus has made in the lives of billions. Today Nazareth bears a marked contrast to its former times. Densely populated, it is shared by Muslims and Christian Arabs. Our first visit was to St. Gabriel’s Church,...
by Greg | Jan 10, 2013 | Blog Posts
The good news is that I had a solid 4 ½ hours sleep last night, which is not so bad when you factor in that there is a seven hour difference between Tiberius and Augusta. The bad news is that I fell asleep at 8 pm and I awoke at 12:30 AM – a full four hours ahead of schedule! I am writing and reading in the hotel lobby which overlooks the Sea of Galilee. Even though it is nearly four in the morning here there are about a half a dozen young adults still partying hard mixing their Hebrew with English vulgarity (I think they are trying to impress me). We are staying in the same hotel as our group from 2010. The Sea of Galilee is surrounded by gently rolling hills and is dotted by fisherman plying their trade according to 21st century methods! Driving in yesterday we got to appreciate the verdant and lush Jezreel Valley with Mt. Carmel overlooking us. Mt. Carmel is mentioned throughout the Bible but one particularly interesting story is found in 1 Kings 18. Israel was in a drought and it was lifted at Elijah’s word. Drought was a sign of God’s curse and rain is a sign of God’s blessing. If rain is a sign of blessing then God is really blessing the Holy Land on this trip! Breakfast included a variety of yogurts, cheeses, eggs, breads and fish. Since most places are kosher, the dietary restrictions prevent serving dairy products with meat. Fish is the exception (which I still do not understand after all these years). There were plenty...
by Greg | Jan 9, 2013 | Blog Posts
Having finished packing my luggage only hours before departure, one of my last things to do is to sit down and write this article. From January 8th to January 17th I will be touring the “Holy Land” along with 25 other members and friends of First Baptist Church of Augusta. This will be my third tour of Israel but for most in our group it will be their first. For all of us it will be an opportunity to experience the land where the Bible comes alive as we tour such notable places as Bethlehem, Nazareth, Capernaum, the Sea of Galilee and of course Jerusalem. Sacred places. One does not need to travel to the other side of the world, however, to experience sacred places. While it is quite moving to visit the places where Jesus walked and taught and served, places made sacred are not exclusively reserved for the footsteps of Jesus. For Henry David Thoreau, it was a small cabin on the edge of Walden. For the relatively small number of Creek Indians it was a rock formation in the shape of an eagle in middle Georgia. For the new parents it is the sterile enclosure of a delivery room where they saw their newborn for the first time. Sacred space. We do not always name our memorable points as sacred, but that is what they are – sacred, holy. It may be your grandmother’s kitchen thick with the smell of biscuits out of the oven and coffee whisping in the air. It may be a favorite oak tree from the family home place where you once...
by Greg | Jan 3, 2013 | Blog Posts
Each year I try to keep a list of what I have read. Some books I would eargerly read again and other I probably should have never started. Nevertheless, dear reader, I pass along my reading list from 2012 on to you – the good, the not so good, and the ones you need to start now! Please share with me notable books you have read this past year. Biography Some of the People Who Ate My Barbeque Didn’t Vote for Me: The Life of Georgia Governor Marvin Griffin, by Scott E. Buchanan A Titanic Love Story: Ida and Isidor Straus, by June Hall McCash The Autobiography of Malcolm X, by Malcolm X and Alex Haley Poetry A Thousand Mornings, by Mary Oliver Non-Fiction Snow Leopard, by Peter Matthiessen AWOL on the Appalachian Trail, by David Miller Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History, by S. C. Gwynne The Most Human, Human: What Artificial Intelligence tells us About Being Alive, by Brian Christian Packing for Mars, by Mary Roach Why Does the World Exist? An Existential Detective Story, by Jim Holt Religion Christianity After Religion, Diana Butler Bass Is God a Christian?, by Kirby Godsey What’s The Least I can Believe and Still be a Christian? A Guide to What Matters Most, Martin Thielen Lost and Found, by Ed Stetzer Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, Resurrection and the Mission of the Church, by N.T. Wright Spirituality/Christian Life Prayers for a Privileged People, Walter Brueggemann Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals, by Shane...
by Greg | Dec 19, 2012 | Blog Posts
Did any of you plan to go out on Christmas Eve and shop? I do! It is more or less an annual event for me. Sometimes I am doing last minute shopping and sometimes I am scouting for a deal. Most years I just like to go out among the crowd, and soak it in. In less than a week it will all be over, won’t it? Sure, some of you will make it to a New Years Eve party, but most of the real celebrations come to an end pretty soon. This is a season of over-indulgence, at least it is for me. I spend more money than any other time of the year; I eat more food, especially the wrong kind of foods, than any other time of the year; and I am attending more special events, parties, and services than any other time of the year. Over indulgence! Now before your close your eyes and brace yourself for yet another tirade on conspicuous consumption and our superficial excesses, relax. I am not going there in this article. In fact, I want us to linger just a little bit longer at this table of over-indulgence before the diets begin and the savings are recovered and the resolutions to do better are made. Over-indulgence; you know it can be a very lovely word. Is that not the very nature of God as we remember Jesus, the very incarnation of God? This birth is a sacred marking of the over-indulgence of God. God has done and is doing something remarkably extravagant, lavishing Holy love upon all people. The messengers...
by Greg | Dec 12, 2012 | Blog Posts
I read that line recently in an Advent devotional and it set me to thinking (yes, I know the mind can be dangerous when imagination takes over). Fear, doubt, and despair have a way of dominating our narratives, don’t they? It is easier to believe in destruction rather than life; annihilation rather than hope; condemnation rather than salvation. Bad news seems to be especially bad this time of year. When I was a teenager I remember attending an evangelistic meeting where the speaker worked the crowd over sowing seeds of doubt in our young, impressionable minds that perhaps our baptism wasn’t good enough; our confessions were not truthful enough; our salvation not sure enough. “Should I walk down this aisle, again?” Thanks be to God for both a solid heritage of biblical teaching and steadfast mentors who walked alongside me to keep me rooted in God’s eternal good news. Once saved barely saved? Hmph. God’s good news is deep and abiding and there is nothing tenacious about it. When the angels announced “Glory to God in the highest,” they earlier claimed, “I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people.” (Luke 2:10) The messengers of God proclaimed a great Gift and the response of those shepherds was not to fearfully berate others into receiving God’s generosity. The Gospel of Luke tells us that the Shepherd’s responded: “glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen…” (Luke 2:20) We know about bad news. We know about despair. It is an easy thing to believe in fear. We live it, see it and experience it...
by Greg | Nov 27, 2012 | Blog Posts
I have yet to make my trek up to the attic to fetch the 378 or so boxes of lights, ornaments, garland, glitter, sleigh, nativity sets and all other things pertaining to Christmas, but I best get started. Advent begins this Sunday. Our church traditionally marks the beginning of the Advent season with the Hanging of the Green service. Combining all the morning worship services we gather in our sanctuary to ritually decorate our church, consecrating all things over into the glory and celebration of the Christ Child. Notice I use the singular “Green” and not “Greens.” For years I had referred to this service where we “green” or decorate the church in worship as the Hanging of the Greens. Some member kindly chided me and said that the correct word is “green” not “greens.” “Greens,” he went on to say “refer to collards, mustards and turnips.” Personally I like greens and I will soon be picking up a mess for my New Years feast. I am embarrassed to admit that I was too late in planting them for my winter garden, which means I may lose status among my kin. Collards and mustards would make for fine decorations and certainly they would make our beautiful sanctuary unique. Back to the question: Is it green or greens? Like many answers we solicit in life, it depends on who you ask. Many churches in our area use both terms and according to the books I have on liturgy both are acceptable. So the answer to the question is “Green” and “Greens.” Here is the good news: it really doesn’t matter....
by Greg | Nov 7, 2012 | Blog Posts
…the election. Most of you dear readers probably share with me a sense of relief that we are through with nasty campaigning, partisan sniping, and divisive speech. At least I hope all of this is behind us. When I woke up the morning after the election I checked Facebook for messages and comments. I wish I had not. Folks really should think before making comments on the internet because there were some mean and ugly things being said about elected officials, neighbors, and friends who voted one way or another. Not all of the entries were political. I had friends and acquaintances who are dealing with sickness, death or loss of some other kind that a voting booth will not remedy. When I went to bed the night before the election it was long before any predictions or announcements were made on who would be our next president (or for that matter congressional representative, senator, etc.). I slept well. It was not because I was confident or apathetic. I just knew that when I went to bed I needed to follow Jesus and when I woke up I still needed to follow Jesus. Maybe I slept well out of ignorance. Maybe I slept well out of perspective knowing that each night many are dealing with personal challenges far more consequential than the outcome of election. It really does not matter. I went to bed, slept, and by the grace of God woke up to another day. I have to admit that I am sad for our nation, but not because of the winners and losers who campaigned for so...
by Greg | Oct 31, 2012 | Blog Posts
For the last two or so years (maybe not quite that long) we have housed a Phodopus, more commonly known as a “dwarf hamster,” or as Amy would call it, a rat. Aaron just called him “Bro.” Bro was his idea, which probably comes as no surprise. He bought this nocturnal rodent with money he was supposed to use for school lunches. Speaking of nocturnal, Bro loved to exercise on his wheel starting at, say, 10 PM and would stay at it until about 5 or 6 AM. Each night I was lulled into sleep with the turns of the rat wheel and each morning it was still spinning to greet me for the day. Then it happened. A day or so passed and I did not hear the wheel turn. Ah, a peaceful evening. By the next night I suggested to Aaron that it was quiet, unusually so, from Bro’s abode. Upon further inspection we both discovered that “Bro was no mo.” Since there seemed to be an unwritten but mutually assumed advanced directive that discouraged “extraordinary life-saving measures,” both boys (by now Clark was involved in the grieving process) commenced with funeral proceedings. This included the obligatory digging of the grave and preparing the headstone while accompanied by selections from the soundtrack “O Brother Where Art Thou.” If you think I am making any of this up I will gladly direct you to the gravesite where you can pay your respects to the earthly remains of the understated and brief life of Bro, a rodent of rodents. Perhaps Bro’s untimely passing – although I have no idea...
by Greg | Oct 24, 2012 | Blog Posts
This past week Amy and I slipped away for a few days to go camping in the Smoky Mountains. Leaves were in their full fall glory and everywhere we turned were reminders of autumnal beauty. We love the mountains even though we did not grow up in the mountains. Neither did our parents or their parents or their parents. We both hail from Middle Georgia environs surrounded by gentle, rolling hills where the closest thing to a mountain was the fire ant mounds. Yet each time we lose ourselves “up there in the hills” and huddle around a campfire we feel a certain reconnection with our past. Many of Amy’s best childhood memories are of family camping trips. My grandparents rarely left the dairy, but the two or so times I remember them traveling it was to head to the mountains. One time it included taking my brothers, sister and me to see those mountains for the first time. Every time we are up in mountain territory – in a tent, on a trail, a hotel room, or just riding along the winding highway – we feel a reconnection, a belonging as if we have always been there. Deep within every one of us is the need to belong. Young children take pride in belonging to their parents; adolescents carve out new identities and belong to their friends; emerging into adulthood there is the need to belong to independent ideas and convictions; and it is not uncommon that as we grow older in our adulthood we seek out our past recovering what and who we are and to whom...
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