Happy Thanksgiving

I apologize for the fits and starts that mark my blogging over the past couple of months. Sometimes the avalanche of ministry precludes writing as much as I would like. I presume busyness is why Paul only has two letters to the Corinthian church (I know, Good Scholar, many believe the Bible preserves three letters ... and that he references other letters within those letters ... save your critical skills for later please). I think the reason so many of Paul's letters were written from prison was because that's when he slowed down enough to write.

I liken it to one of my favorite kids in the youth group when I was a minister in Florida. He wanted to become a comedian so one day he decided to practice his jokes on me. He had only two categories of jokes: toilet and doctors office waiting room. When he finished I asked him if he noticed that the only the only time he came up with jokes was when he was forced to sit quietly by himself.

So ... I'm stopping for just a moment to post some pictures and make some comments. I'll try to do better in the coming months.

Loved this photo posted by a friend of facebook:

Two 4 Two is over for this season. Worship on Wednesday night was good. I'll miss it.

I'll also miss getting time to interact with fine young'ns like Jude here.

We've got more than our share of great kids at Grandview.

This past fall we've had a preaching intern, Sung Bauta. He's been wonderful to have around I value the perspective of a someone from Nigeria who grew up in a predominately Muslim area. Sung and I will be preaching together this weekend and then we'll say goodbye.

Sung: it's been great having you around.

I like this picture of Patrick and Cora as we were off to Kingsport for their chorus concert. It was the first time I met Patrick and I thought he was funny and smart.

My motorcycle continues to be a great way to relax. I've gotten to ride a little bit in the past couple of months. Ross Russell introduced me to the ride to Hot Springs, NC. It's a beautiful trip and a lot of fun. It will become a regular on my rotation.

That's it for now.

Back to Blogging

Sorry I was gone for so long. The week before my vacation I was consumed with making sure things were covered while I was gone. Then there was the week of the vacation (which was wonderful). Then the week after my vacation was filled with meetings, preaching, weddings and such. All good stuff.

You can look at some of the pictures ... if you want.

Three of the last four ministers of Grandview: me, Frank, and Ben.

Me and the new groom, Sanjay.

The installation of Mke Sweeney as president of Emmanuel.

Mike Sweeney speaking in chapel.

European Evangelistic Society meetings on Monday.

Now to the vacation ...
Cindy and the girls in Key West.

My lucky shot with my iPhone: seagull at sunrise.

The ocean at sunrise.

Okay ... another sunrise picture (I get up early).

Funny Photo

Wish I had thought of it!
Brilliant.

Hoodu U and Professor Huso

I haven't been able to post our Rendezvous videos until now. Special thanks to Deke Bowman (video guy) and Adam Bean (Professor Huso Eber).

Hope you enjoy!

Around the Post

If you're the kind of person who runs in church-discussion circles then you're familiar with the much heralded arrival of the Post-Modern, Post-Scientific, Post-Christian world. When I was a kid "Post" was just a secondary brand of cereal (I always coveted the characters on the General Mills cereals. Post cereal cartoon characters were poorly developed.).

I need to become more conversant on the topic because I will be leading two seminars at Emmanuel on knowing the mind of your congregation and then on the topic of reaching Post Moderns. It's the second topic that concerns me the most because "Post Modern" hasn't quite arrived in East Tennessee.

Oh ... there are free spirits and ill-logical thinkers around, but I'm not sure how many true Post Moderns there are. East Tennessee is still overwhelmingly (and yet thinly) Christian.

My daughter, Anna, told me that on her bus there was a boy (let us call him "Darwin") who proclaimed that evolution could be proved and that the idea of a creator God (my description, not his) was laughable.

"Don't you believe in God?" A fellow rider asked.

"No." Darwin said.

At that point, according to Anna, the bus population descended on him in an angry rage, demeaning him, grilling him, and dismissing his beliefs as ridiculous. In other words, the bus riders who nightly play music so offensive that I can't print the lyrics here, riders who consistently speak to each other in words angry and vulgar in nature, treated the non-Christian boy in a most unChristian fashion. To which, I suppose, he should have no moral objection because on the bus (as everybody knows) survival of the fittest is the only rule.

We Christians, however, should have moral objections to the kind of behavior the bullies and berates those who disagree with us. We worship someone whose very life demands we love (not just tolerate) those who disagree with us.

Anna said that while the melee was going on she looked at Jim (who is in the Grandview youth group with her) and said, "Do you get to facebook this or do I?"

Sigh. How do we teach our children to do more than believe in Jesus? How do we teach them to love like he loved?

Last week's Two 4 Two

Two 4 Two had another fine night last week. Here are some pictures from the night.

Frank and Dee ... the happy couple.

Patience in the light.

Colton takes a break from supper.

Abby is growing up quickly these days.

If you haven't heard Thomas pray, then you've really missed out.

Touching Base!

Tomorrow begins a new sermon series. We have three weeks of stewardship emphasis. We will focus on the journey of one of Jesus' disciples, looking at his call, his celebration, and his follow-through.I haven't blogged about the demise of The Oasis, my favorite coffee shop. Sadly, The Oasis has gone the way of all independent coffee shops in Johnson City. Oh, sure, the Mall version lives on; but the community that gathered at the university location has been dispersed; scattered like the children of Israel in the wake of ancient conquerors. Too bad. I continue to believe that coffee shops are the modern equivalent of the front porch. They are places where you can see some of the same people over and over until you become connected.

Barrista Brent and Owner Chuck gave me a goodbye smile.

And this was my last cup of coffee.

Also, Happy Birthday to Cindy's grandfather! He turned 93 on Tuesday. He seems to be doing really well. Several folks from Grandview visit him from time to time. He always tells me how much he appreciates those visits. Thanks to all!

Sneak Peak

Aaahhhh ... the mellifluous tones of Frank Davis and his voice-over for the Grandview stewardship slideshows (coming soon to a worship service near you.

Two 4 Two: Hoodu U: Session 1

We had a great start to the Two 4 Two. I will post the Professor Huso video when I get a non-DVD version for the internet.

Meanwhile, here are some pics from the evening. We had a good bunch and the evening seemed to go really well.

Colton and Griffin enjoying hot dogs at supper.

Becky enjoying a nap in the foyer.

Drew and Ethan.

Doug the new Dinner Dean

Jim and Colin.

Ryan cheeses with the girls from table 3.

Mattheus and Savannah.

Heather's new kitchen gloves.

Holly and Beth take time for a photo while cleaning things up.

Bethany and Hannah.

Two 4 Two returns!

Welcome back to the weekly Two 4 Two reports. The week has been a bit crazy, but everything is coming together.

Here is tomorrow night's slideshow for the opening of Rendezvous. It's packed with pictures that most of you have already seen, but the treat at the end of the show is that there are some pictures from 4 years ago. You'll see how much the kids have grown. II wish I had more pictures, but I wasn't blogging back then, which means I wasn't taking pictures either.

The end of the slideshow also unveils the theme for this fall's Two 4 Two. Enjoy ... and see you tomorrow

Some nice moments...

The thing about a blog is that it's very little more than image management. I try to avoid unflattering pictures (of myself and others). I also don't report on things that might be driving me crazy at the moment. Why? Those things don't really advance our cause.

Image management isn't new. It existed before blogs and will exist through every medium. I've wondered if I should start an anonymous blog under the name "Reverend Sparx Fury." If I were anonymous I could say whatever I felt like saying without owning any of the consequences.

Maybe anonymity isn't such a good thing!

Feel free to glance at the pictures below. They are pictures I'm happy for you to see. They are in no particular order; nor are they on a single topic. Blogging regularly is tough!


Cindy and I went out to supper last night, thanks to a gift card from her office mates. They gave us the gift card to celebrate my graduating from Asbury ... we finally cashed it in last night. The restaurant is a little place in Limestone Cove. It was a pretty night to drive in Unicoi County.

Cindy had the grouper and I had the filet. Excellent food ... much more excellent than you would expect to find in a little cafe in Unicoi County (thanks, Cindy's office mates!).

This is just a picture of me on my brother's rope swing. I had to hold on for dear life, but I did it. Roger Allman took the photo. Looking at the picture now, I'm really glad I didn't wind up hanging myself.This is a shot of the Two4Two preview put on by Ryan Bader, youth minister extraordinaire'. This was last Wednesday night and gave adults a chance to see what the youth do after Rendezvous on Wednesday nights.

This is Cora. I picked her up at school yesterday so she could get her spacers put in. Braces, here we come!

I just thought the sky looked great on Wednesday. Rainy. Cloudy. And beautiful. I love to look at the stained glass windows next to the views our sanctuary provides.

Tomorrow's Offering

I'm back in the saddle (and the pulpit) this weekend. Special thanks to Mike Sweeney for preaching this past Sunday. We are blessed at Grandview to have such fine folks as a part of our church.

Tomorrow I will begin a new series. For three weeks we will focus on the nature of the gospel. I'm excited about this series because I'm doing it in conjunction with three other ministers. Having their input into the sermon creation process is like getting a cold cup of water in Jesus' name.

So, special thanks to Derek Murphy (student at Emmanuel and senior minister at Buffalo Christian Church up in Bluff City), Scott Wakefield (senior minister at First Christian Church in Greeneville, Tennessee and son of John and Vicki Wakefield), and Ryan Starr (senior minister at Airport Christian Church.

Tomorrow's Sermon is entitled, "The Gospel? What's In It For Me?"
Bob Hall (the younger) will be praying in the 11am service and his prayer will be shared with Sam Vaughn, who will lead the pastoral prayer in the Table service. If you want a sneak peak, follow the link: Bob's Prayer.

A Sunday Away

The teachers prepare to school their minister in long distance riding. They look concerned to me.
We arrived in Mecca to discover a beautiful day for the MotoGP race (I know ... I know ... there are no MotoGP fans at Grandview ... or anywhere else in my life! That's okay. I understand.)
Look closely and you will see race winner, Jorge Lorenzo swinging from the fence like Spiderman (or, as he said with his Spanish accent, "Like Speederman."

Here is a bike that crashed out being taken away in the back of a truck. This bike is only a 125cc bike, but it still goes over 150 mph.

Just to make sure you all know. I went to church on Sunday morning before the race. Thankfully, Mt. Gilead had an 8:30am service. Your preacher goes to church ... even. on. race. day.