Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Jumpin' Jelly Jars


For some time, I have been a promoter of, disk jockey for, and a lover of, Southern Gospel music. Over the years, I have had the privilege to meet and listen to some of the finest quartets and singers in the business.

As I have promoted concerts, I have seen a number of items for sale on artist's tables. The items can range from CD's to magazines, to t-shirts and other promotional items. But this is the first time I've seen this item on an artist's table.

McCray says that his jelly is selling like, er, hotcakes, to mix metaphors. I like jelly myself, but this is new to me. Maybe the Doves can come up with their own label. "Dove Jelly?" Nah, it doesn't have a ring to it.

Speaking of concerts, we will be hosting the Doves in concert in DeRidder LA at the Fairgrounds Pavilion on Saturday, January 16. Come by and say hello.

Now they say that they are offering muscadine jelly on their table as well. I hear it has some healthy benefits.

Healing for the body and soul at Dove Brothers' concerts?

Time will tell.

Meanwhile, pass the bread.

Friday, December 18, 2009

He Rode In From The Past, Final Chapter

He was left alone with his daughter that night. She began to be upset and agitated. She said, "Daddy, I don't want to be away from you."

"How's that?" He asked.

"Daddy, when I die, I'm going to heaven and you're going to Hell. We will be forever separated."

That was the turning point. My friend decided to attend church that night and join his wife in the pew. Soon he turned his life over to Jesus Christ and became a changed man.

He was changed in life direction and changed in his calling.

Gary soon became a worker and minister at his church. Over time, the church allowed him to go out and start a "Biker church" to reach people just like himself. This ecclectic gathering reaches people that many in the "established churches" don't want to mess with. They are located in a crack neighborhood. Many of the attenders have addiction issues as well as other hangups. The neat thing is that they don't know what a traditional church is. They don't even know how to act.

Pastor Gary tells me that he sometimes has to go to people and say, "No, we don't do that here." His wife suggested he write these incidents down for future book. Gary says, "I really don't want to remember!"

I became pastor of the more established and traditional churches. But our paths crossed again a little over a week ago. It sure was good to catch up on old times and acquaintances. Some of the people we grew up with now go to his church. One has come out of prison and is leading their addiction recovery ministry.

God uses broken people. Really, though, that's the only kind of people he has to use. We are all broken in some way.

Some just are more broken than others.

But it takes all of the same amazing grace to save and change us all.

I'm so glad to have caught up with this brother in the ministry again. I look forward to preaching at his church on a Tuesday night soon.

Look for me there.

Just don't look for me to ride in on a 'cycle.

Now, that's another story....

Friday, December 11, 2009

He Rode In From The Past, part 2


We both married a year out of high school. He was living down in southeast Texas. I was still in my hometown. After that, our lives took different turns but resulted in our sharing a common calling.

Gary got involved in motorcycle gangs and the whole lifestyle, eventually becoming a national officer. He was injured in an industrial accident and returned to his hometown.

A couple of years after I married, I felt called to ministry. Deborah and I quit our jobs, sold our home, and moved to Marshall, TX for me to attend East Texas Baptist College. (Now University.)

Gary's daughter and later his wife began to attend church, mainly because Gary wanted his daughter to have some morals. He wanted this for his daughter though he admits that he had no morals himself.

I graduated from college, later seminary and began to pastor churches. My wife and I began to raise our two sons. She continued her education which will soon result in a Ed.D in nursing education.

Gary's wife is a visiting nurse.

As Gary's daughter attended church, later his wife did so as well, he wanted no part of "church." That was fine for them, but not for him.

Over time, his daughter gave her life to Jesus Christ, then his wife did as well.

Then one night it happened...

(To be continued...)

Thursday, December 10, 2009

He Rode In From The Past

A friend from my past surfaced yesterday. In fact, it has been 35 years since I had seen him eyeball-to-eyeball. Over the years, we had gone our separate ways. Very separate.

His name is Gary Sandlin and he pastors the First Biker Church of Texarkana, Texas. Gary and I went to Elementary and Jr. High School together. We were in Scouts together. Somewhere in the High School years, his life and mine took very different turns...

(Part 2 continues tomorrow)

Detoxing The Pastor

Joe McKeever has written an insightful article on what it takes for a pastor to become an industrial chaplain here.

I especially "amen" the references to the administrative load a pastor has to handle. When I "signed on" to ministry, I thought I was signing on to preach and teach- as well as help people on a one to one basis. No one told me about the administrative load that a pastor shoulders.

Now, if pastoral ministry were just about caring for people.....