Ode 17

Faith

Another of my friends is a blogger, and I thought I would share one of her posts with you today. It's called Faith, and is by Joy York.

“Faith is never a question of the intellect, it is always a question of the will”.

As someone who really struggled intellectually for a time with Christianity, this quote really hit me. In college I went through a season of really questioning the claims of Christianity, of doubting the inerrancy of God’s word, of wondering what impact Christ, if He was who He said, would truly make in a person’s life. I probably would have described myself as...

Business vs. Pleasure: What the African Children's Choir Taught Me

This morning I heard the sounds of children singing and followed the trail of the sweet music. I went downstairs into one of the classrooms at our church and witnessed the African Children's Choir in their morning worship. Most all of them were singing with their eyes closed, captured by their music and love of God. Many had their hands raised as they sang. None noticed I was standing at the door.

After they sang they began to pray in the tongue of the Ugandan people, all at the same time, softly and sincerely.  Their music and their prayers brought me to tears. As I stood outside of the door listening I began to participate softly. During those moments God reminded me that I have been very busy about his business for a very long time. He also reminded me to not forget his pleasure. I, like so many others in the clergy, get wrapped up in the job of church and forget that God really wants to simply enjoy our relationship.

The African Children's Choir, on a stop over, asked to use our facilities. And while we blessed them they truly blessed me. I wish you all could have been there.

Have an incredible day ...and remember to simply chat, laugh, and even shed a tear of joy with your Father. 

Old School Blessings

Picked this off of a facebook friend's page today. LOVE it! When I die I want my choir to march in like this. It's going to be a killa' funeral! Rev. Nicks is killin' the Hammond. Sweet!

Rev. Charles Nicks & The St. James Adult Choir - How I Got Over

Missional

For a lot of us the word "missional" is a new slant on an old word. As I sit in my final day of a class called "Our Mission from God: Transforming Agent," I want to give a nut shell version of why we (churches) do mission in our communities and all around the world. It mainly comes from one of the texts on mission by Gailyn Van Rheenen.

God is the reason for mission

Jesus Christ is the message of mission

The Holy Spirit is the power of mission

The local congregation is the embodiment of mission

The world is the target of mission

...and that's it in a nutshell, or as Forest Gump said, "And that's all I have to say about that."

Music Atlanta 2010

I just finished my stint at Music Atlanta for this year. It was great to hear some new music, lead worship with Marty Parks at the opening session, and spend some time getting refreshed spiritually. Most of all, it was truly a blessing to see old friends and make new ones. Scott Revo and Dawn Johnson, along with the Pine Lake Music staff put this event on every year. It has got to be a lot of hard work, but it's worth it. Many thanks to everyone who made it a very special three days.

Duluth Arts League Features Sugarloaf Choir

The Duluth Fine Arts League has a website. On it they feature Duluth, GA artists. I just discovered they featured our choir during the Christmas season. I'm not sure why they picked the songs they did, or why they picked The Joy of Christmas CD, but it's fun that they selected us for the Christmas season. You can listen to five songs from our recording, The Joy of Christmas, on the site. By the way, the soloists are (song 2) Tim Foster, and me on the last song. Click here to check out their site and listen.

God and Dog

One of my choir members sent this to me today. Thanks Julie. My choir knows how much I love my dog, Mr. Bean. Believe me, there are some strong truths to this song and video.

God n Dog

Hello Big Game, Goodbye College Football

Confession: I anticipate tonight's final bowl game with great joy mixed with a fair amount of dread. I have great joy in that this is the BIG game. I mean really, really big. Yet I have dread in that I'm asking myself, "What will I do tomorrow night? Study? Do something beneficial for mankind? Clean the house? Cook dinner for my wife?" The whole thing sends shivers up my spine. My pizza guy is really going to miss me.

Vacation with the lovely Mrs. Joanie

We have complained about the very cold weather at the beach.  
We always complain about the amount of work we have to do to our house when we come down here. Now for the good news. That's all the complaining we do. I love being on vacation with my wife.

Today we went to Fort Morgan for the first time. Thought about taking the ferry to Mobile but decided instead to hang out at the historic fort. I would love to go back and spend a few more hours with the camera. There was the coolest texture everywhere. What a great place to shoot some pictures. My friend Andy Brophy would love this place (He is an unbelievable photographer ...young and growing rapidly in the skill).

Anyway, if you want to look at more pictures that I took today at Fort Morgan visit my Facebook page. ...but no complaints. I'm on vacation.

The Christmas Angel: Ode to Lindsay Susanne Parker

It was a dark Christmas back in 1987. The phone had just rung with the news that she was gone. Seventeen months of hope, prayer, uncertainty, and fear had just culminated with the message that brought tears and anguish to my life. Her heart had unexpectedly stopped beating. It was over.

Back up to the summer of 1985. Hope was in the air. A new child was to be born. The appointment was made and the doctor was ready to deliver our baby girl in the operating room. Giddiness was in the air until the dark cloud burst into the room bearing the news that something was terribly wrong. Lindsay was not healthy. Her tiny bent frame was the testament to her ills. The seventeen months had begun.

I do not wish to talk about the bad for it does my heart no good to reminisce on the things that could have been. My catharsis is to write of her black hair, her little...