I was 14 years old the first time I played piano for congregational singing. For some reason, our regular pianist couldn’t finish the service, so Dad, who was directing, looked at me and said, “Come here.” 

I was on an island off the coast of Turkey, praying with and for anyone who stopped by our missions table. One lady from Bulgaria came to me for prayer. I didn’t speak Bulgarian and she didn’t speak English, but we both spoke just enough German for me to understand that she wanted me to pray for her father’s healing. It was a struggle, but we managed it!

Blame it on Babel. 

For me, one of Christianity’s mysteries is why the Ascension of Jesus doesn’t get as much attention as Easter or Christmas.

I never thought much about Ascension until about 10 years ago when  I made the mistake of going to Amish country on Ascension Day (which is always on a Thursday). They were shut up tight! For the Amish, Ascension Day is a holy day and they spend it in worship. So I did some reflecting on just what it means that Jesus ascended — here’s some of it and I’ll get into more of it Sunday. 

Some of my favorite memories as a young minister were around my senior pastor’s breakfast table while we were going through some discipleship training. We would meet at 7:00 AM on a Tuesday, which was great for our youth minister, who led the group, for our pastor’s wife, and for me because we were all morning people. My day typically began at 5:00 AM anyway, so 7:00 AM was prime time for me! 

However, the senior pastor and the children’s ministry guy were not morning people at all and would sit at the table like zombies! 

I’ve written about how we had so many people in and out of our home when I was growing up that we joked that ours was the “Jackson Home for Lost Boys and Wayward Women.” 

Well, now I can add to that: “The Jackson Home for Lost Boys, Wayward Women, and Sick Pups.”

You all know I love classic movies and try to catch them whenever they’re shown on the “big screen.” One year, the Monaco at Bridge Street was showing the 1962 classic “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

I wasn’t much of a Mr. Rogers fan when I was little. He was nice enough, and I liked his opening song, but when he broke out the hand puppets, I was gone. I mean, I could turn to Sesame Street and those guys – Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster, Kermit – were REAL. 

But the older I got, the more I appreciated Mr. Rogers’ wisdom.

I have to write things down.

This isn’t a new thing, so I can’t blame it on old age. I learned back at the first church I served back in the 1980s that, especially if it's right before the Sunday morning service, if I need to add a request or announcement in the service, I’ve got to write it down.

I’ve used a detail of Michalangelo’s famous painting of the creation of Adam on the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling as my Facebook cover photo off and on for years. I’m sure you recognize it. It’s God’s finger reaching out to Adam’s finger.

While talking with a friend recently, I was struggling for a description of the sort of things that pass for Bible studies, and the following rolled off my tongue: “Oooy, gooey, rich and chewy inside” and the other person, without dropping a beat, replied, “Tender cakey, golden flaky outside.”

In writing about the potential negative effects of social media, I brought up one of the myths that keeps making its rounds: certain important books of the Bible were left out by the Catholic church, and in particular, the book of Enoch.

Back in the dark ages, when I was at the University of Alabama, my teacher congratulated us for choosing communications as our major. “The future will belong to communications,” he told us. “As technology progresses, our computers will get smaller and smaller. They will combine with mobile phones and will eventually fit into the palms of our hands.” 

I was with a colleague at a music conference some years back. While purchasing some music, my friend was treating the person at the cash register like a servant.  It was embarrassing. Finally, I whispered to her, “Take a closer look at who you’re ignoring.” Her eyes got huge and completely changed her attitude toward the “clerk.” 

James Taylor loves me.

Back in September,  I did something I've done less than a handful of times in my life. I went to a concert.  A non- religious. non-classical concert. And during the concert, someone shouted out: “We love you!” And James stopped and in a very sincere way responded with, “I love you, too.” 

“But God is faithful" are four of the most beautiful words in the Bible. 

The phrase comes from I Corinthians 10:13, “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength,” but it’s a theme that resounds all throughout the Bible.  No matter what comes against us, God is faithful. 

Which is easier? Legalism or grace?

I think our initial response would be grace. We think of legalism as being harsh, when actually, legalism is the easier way out.

It all began with a sermon I preached at a previous church on being single in the ministry. Although people look at you like there’s something wrong with you, the apostle Paul thought it best that Christians stayed single! And why? Because they can serve God without anxiety. 

Sometimes life is wonderful, and that’s great. We praise God for the good times. But what about those times when life isn’t so good? Do we give up on God?

No. 

Not long ago I heard someone say, “There’s no way I’m telling God how I really feel about [whatever the situation they were dealing with was].” 

I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you what’s wrong with that! The good Lord already knew what she was thinking! Second, the good Lord wants us to be honest with him – even when it think our feelings about something seem “improper.” 

My mother was raised in the hills and the hollows around Paint Rock Valley in Jackson County, Alabama.  As much as she loved Jesus and as much as she was always a joyful person, her taste in non-religious music was pretty grim.