Overnight and today we are watching the horrific video footage following the devastating storms that trampled many communities in Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia yesterday. Many of us have been busy contacting friends and family members to check on their safety. Others of us have already learned of friends who lost homes, businesses, and loved ones.

At our house, in addition to thinking about our many friends who were affected in Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, and Cullman, Amanda and I are grieving over the destruction inflicted on the Williams Community, our former place of service, where at least two lives were taken and multiple homes were destroyed when one storm followed a similar path to the Palm Sunday tornado of 1994.

Our First Baptist Family is no stranger to storms. As veteran survivors of successive storms in recent years, we can identify with the grief, the loss, and the monumental challenges facing our neighboring states in the days ahead. Today I am calling on our First Baptist Family to respond in the following ways:

PRAY! Pray for those who are hurting and grieving. Homes can be rebuilt, but loved ones cannot be replaced. We serve a God who is “our refuge and strength, a very present help in our time of trouble.” Pray for those whose lives were turned upside down to discover renewed hope in the aftermath of the storm, and pray for relief and recovery workers to labor with cooperation and perseverance.

GIVE! Consider giving a generous financial gift to assist with rebuilding following this disaster. Make your check to FBC Pensacola and designate it Disaster Relief. All gifts given through FBCP will be channeled through our existing mission partners in Alabama.

GO! In the days ahead, we will be assembling teams to assist with the relief work in Alabama. Today we are working with leaders in Alabama to assess the needs. We know that this will be a lengthy clean-up and rebuilding effort, much like the aftermath of Katrina. Our hope is to target a specific area for partnership. Stay tuned for opportunities to participate on a Disaster Relief Team in the weeks ahead.

I am honored to serve a loving, praying, and caring church family.

With continuing prayers for our neighbors,

Barry

by Barry Howard

A man that has friends must first show himself friendly; and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24

The wisdom writer pre-supposes that for most of life, human beings are going to be engaged in dynamic human relationships. In a highly competitive world where individuals are dominated by self-interest, how do you keep relationships healthy and growing? Sustainable friendship is a gift from God.

What is a friend? One writer answered this way: Friends are people with whom you dare to be yourself. Your soul can be naked with them. They ask you to put on nothing, only to be what you are. They do not want you to be better or worse. When you are with them, you feel as a prisoner feels who has been declared innocent. You do not have to be on your guard. You can say what you think, as long as it is genuinely you. Friends understand those contradictions in your nature that lead others to misjudge you. With them you breathe freely. You can avow your little vanities and envies and hates and vicious sparks, your meannesses and absurdities, and in opening them up to friends, they are lost, dissolved on the white ocean of their loyalty. They understand. You do not have to be careful. You can abuse them, neglect them, tolerate them. Best of all, you can keep still with them. It makes no matter. They like you. They are like fire that purges to the bone. They understand. You can weep with them, sing with them, laugh with them, pray with them. Through it all–and underneath–they see, know, and love you. A friend? What is a friend? Just one, I repeat, with whom you dare to be yourself.

Churches are built on both faith and friendship. Members of a congregation are actually diverse friends from a variety of backgrounds who stick together in tough times, who bring out the best in each other, and who collaborate in missional effort, despite their differences, out of obedience to a common faith conviction.

Maybe, the Quakers have it right in referring to their faith community as “The Society of Friends.”

During these days of learning to bring out the best in others, treasure the friendships you have, and look forward to making new friends in the days ahead. Robert Louis Stevenson once wrote, “So long as we are loved by others, I would almost say that we are indispensable; and no man is useless while he has a friend.”

Maintaining a good friendship requires grace, mercy, patience, and perseverance. E.C. McKenzie observed that “some people make enemies instead of friends because it is less trouble.” I contend that true friendship is worth the labor.

(Barry Howard serves as senior minister of the First Baptist Church of Pensacola.)

By Barry Howard

Next week is called Holy Week, not because we are to “act” holy, but because it is a most appropriate week for us to re-visit the passion of Christ. Around the globe, Christ-followers and other inquirers will be reflecting on the events leading up to the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. What is the significance of Holy Week and how can I probe its deeper meaning?

Our tradition of observing Holy Week seems to have originated in the East, emerging out of the practice of pilgrimages to Jerusalem. Each day of Holy Week is significant. For those of us whose faith was shaped in a Baptist tradition, at least four days call for guided reflection. Palm Sunday is a day to revisit the royal welcome extended to Jesus by the curious crowd as he entered Jerusalem. On Maundy Thursday believers recall the occasion when Jesus washed the feet of the disciples as he gave them a new mandate to love and serve. On Maundy Thursday evening, many faith communities re-enact “the last supper” when Jesus broke bread and shared the cup with his disciples by receiving the elements of communion. Good Friday is an occasion to feel the passion of Christ and to think on the enormity of his suffering. And Resurrection Sunday, or Easter, is a festive day to celebrate and proclaim that “Christ is risen; Christ is risen indeed!”

Because of the sequential significance of these events, Holy Week is best approached slowly, with an attitude of reverent exploration, a spiritual mood of sacred awe. In Weldon Gaddy’s book, The Gift of Worship, he describes our opportunity to engage in a more meaningful experience of the passion of Christ: “Holy Week services bring into focus dimensions of discipleship that are missed completely by a simple leap from Palm Sunday to Easter. Worship services which take seriously the truths of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday please God because they challenge a greater commitment and a more effective ministry among the people of God.”

This year as you begin your spiritual journey through Holy Week, open your senses and your imagination to both the tragedy and the triumph of this pivotal week in history. Take time to listen to the voices of the crowd as Jesus enters the city. Hear again the teachings of Jesus and contemplate his days in Jerusalem. Feel the water touch your feet, taste the morsel of bread on your tongue and the sip of wine rolling over your lips. Sense the disgust of his betrayal by a friend. Smell the stench of the scourge and hear the mocking sarcasm of the trial. Grieve over the cruel injustice of his execution and experience the passion of his incomprehensible suffering. And ultimately…consider the mysterious power of the resurrection and the hope generated by the notion that life invested in Christ cannot be extinguished, even by the reality of death.

The events of Holy Week invite and motivate us to follow Jesus, not out of religious obligation or fear of eternal damnation, but because we identify with his teaching and his vision, and we discover a sense of belonging in his cause and his kingdom. A slow and deliberate journey through Holy Week may re-energize your faith and inspire you to live and serve with passion.

The word “holy” means “belonging to a divine power” or “dedicated to God.” On second thought, maybe Holy Week is a week for us to “act” in a way that is holy.

(Barry Howard serves as senior pastor of the First Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida.)

“I was saved on June 26, 1975 at 1:30 a.m. at the Colonial Apartments on Laguna Beach near Panama City, Florida… I was baptized on July 6, 1975 with Mark Smith, Brandon Smith and Mike Tiller by Rev. Tommy Reaves at the creek behind Donald Lloyd’s house.” These are the words I wrote as a fifteen year old in the front of my KJV Scofield Reference Bible, Red Letter Edition.

After making my commitment to Christ and being baptized, my grandmother encouraged me to write the date of those significant events in the front of my Bible so I would never forget them.

Baptism in that cold country creek was a significant moment recorded in my Bible and my soul with permanent ink. Popular preacher and author Max Lucado says that “Baptism separates the tire kickers from the car buyers.” In other words, when you are baptized, you are no longer content to hide in the crowd of spectators applauding Jesus. Rather, you “buy in” to what it means to be a full-fledged follower of Jesus.

Brian McLaren proposes that “Baptism is rich in meaning. It suggests cleansing. When you are a disciple, you understand that you are cleansed by Christ. You understand that Christ died in your place on the cross, paying for your sins, fully forgiving you for all your wrongs. You are cleansed from guilt, and you are becoming a cleaner, healthier, more whole person.”

I don’t believe that everyone has to remember the time, date, and location of their conversion and baptism to be considered a genuine Christian, but for me, remembering my baptism has helped me to confirm and reaffirm my faith during some pretty tough times. There’s an old gospel song that says, “I can tell you the time, I can show you the place, where the Lord saved me by his wonderful grace.”

Do you remember your baptism? As followers of Jesus who learn and live out Christ’s teaching in a Baptist community of faith, being baptized is pretty important…not so much to “seal the deal” but to confirm and launch us into a life of grace and growth. Baptism becomes a vital part of our life’s story…a part of the story to be remembered, treasured, and lived forward.

(Barry Howard serves as senior minister at the First Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida.)

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” II Timothy 4:7 NIV

The first time I heard this oft-told story, it was rendered by Wayne Grubbs, pastor at Lakeview Baptist Church in Oxford, Alabama. The story goes something like this: Near the end of the sermon about heaven, the pastor said to the congregation, “How many of you want to go heaven?” Everyone in the church raised their hand except for one little boy on the front row. The pastor turned toward the boy and asked, “Son, don’t you want to go to heaven?” And the little boy replied, “Yes sir! When I die. But I thought you were getting’ up a trip right now.”

Maybe some of us feel like we are getting ready for this trip in the near future, but most of us are probably under the illusion that the end is a long ways away. No matter our age, we need to be ready to cross the finish line by keeping the faith. 

What are the things you want to accomplish before crossing the finish line? I recently celebrated my 51st birthday. Coincidentally, on my birthday, I shared a eulogy for one of our beloved senior saints who went home to be with the Lord. To my knowledge, this is the first time I have conducted a funeral on my birthday. The strange juxtaposition of these two events, birthday and funeral, inspired me to think a little more seriously about my own “kingdom bucket list.” What are the things God wants to do through my life between now and the time I cross the finish line?

Thomas Jefferson wisely said, “Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.” How would life be different if you transformed your good intentions into actions? I think we all have a few things we need to accomplish before we cross the finish line. What kinds of things do you need to do?

• Go where you need to go: Go on that mission trip. Take that vacation. Visit that long-time friend.

• Do what needs to be done: Get acquainted with your neighbor. Volunteer for that service project. Share your faith with a colleague or classmate.

• Say what needs to be said: Tell your family members that you love them. Share that memorable story with your children or your grandchildren. Forgive the one who has offended you.

• Give what needs to be given: Honor the Lord with all of your resources and give a first portion to the work of your local church. Pass along that family heirloom to the next generation. Invest in the future by leaving a legacy gift to an important ministry project or a cause that will keep on giving long after you are gone.

• Plan what needs to be planned: Develop your exit strategy. Have your paperwork (advanced directive, will, life insurance, power of attorney, etc) in good order. Leave behind your memorial wishes with your family.

James reminds us that life is “a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (4:14 NKJV). Since life is unpredictable and life on this earth will end for every one of us one day, I am convinced that the best way to prepare for death is to live life to the maximum. For me, that means, in addition to trusting Christ as my Savior, I am privileged to follow Christ every step of the journey…. serving, growing, and doing what needs to be done, until I cross the finish line.

I hope to celebrate a lot more birthdays. But someday someone will share a eulogy for me. Since I don’t know when that day will come, I want to make everyday count, because I have a lot of living to do before I cross the finish line.

(Barry Howard serves as senior minister of the First Baptist Church of Pensacola.)

Since childhood I have observed that folks who attend church regularly tend to use a “normal” vocabulary throughout the week, but when we step foot on our church campus or attend a church function, we often resort to a specialized repertoire of words that are not easily understood by those outside the community of faith.  Because it seems abnormal to me for a person to utilize one vocabulary at work and leisure, and revert to another when in the presence of your church friends or minister, I have quietly loathed all varieties of hyper-spiritual dialects.  Across time I confess that I have cynically identified and labeled a few of those more frequently heard church dialects as “King James jargon,” “lingo of Zion,” “ecclesial English,” and “pious pontification.” 


Recently I came across an old clipping that identifies one of these more frequently employed dialects as Christianese:


Christianese is a language used in the Christian subculture and understood easily only by other practicing Christians. As Christian communicators it’s important to avoid words in our writing that could be misunderstood or fail to communicate — terms that have meaning only in the Christian subculture.


As a public service, here are some common phrases used in the church, along with their English-language equivalents:


Christianese: “If it be God’s will.”
Translation: “I really don’t think God is going to answer this one.


Christianese: “Let’s have a word of prayer.”
Translation: “I am going to pray for a long, long, long time.”


Christianese: “That’s not my spiritual gift.”
Translation: “Find someone else.”


Christianese: “Fellowship”
Translation: “Organized gluttony.”


Christianese: “The Lord works in mysterious ways.”
Translation: “I’m totally clueless.”


Christianese: “Lord willing . . .”
Translation: “You may think I’ll be there, but I won’t.”


Christianese: “I don’t feel led.”
Translation: “Can’t make me.”


Christianese: “God led me to do something else.”
Translation: I slept in instead of going to church.


Christianese: “God really helped me with this test.”
Translation: “I didn’t study but I guessed good, so I’m giving God credit in the hope that He helps me again.”


Christianese: “She has such a sweet spirit!”
Translation: “What an airhead!”


Christianese: “I have a ‘check’ in my spirit about him.”
Translation: “I can’t stand that jerk!”


Christianese: “I’ll be praying for you.”
Translation: “There’s an outside chance I’ll remember this conversation later today.”


Christianese: “Prayer concerns”
Translation: “Gossip”


Christianese: “In conclusion . . . “
Translation: “I’ll be done in another hour or so.”


Christianese: “Let us pray”
Translation: “I’m going to pretend to talk to God now, but I’m really preaching at you.”


Christianese: “You just have to put it in God’s hands.”
Translation: “Don’t expect me to help you.”


Christianese: “God wants to prosper you!”
Translation: “Give me all your money.” (Author Unknown)


My point is that words really do matter.  The New Testament was originally written in Koine Greek, the everyday language of ordinary people, which says to me that the greatest news in the world can be communicated without a specialized religious vocabulary.


The wisdom writer reminds us that, “A person finds joy in giving an apt reply— and how good is a timely word!” (Proverbs 15:23 NIV). This year, a part of my quest to be a better Christian and a more effective pastor, is to learn to be a better steward of my words and to be authentic in conversation.  And, of course, to avoid reverting to Christianese. “Carest thou to joineth me?”

by Barry Howard

I grew up in Alabama in the heat of the Civil Rights Movement. I was familiar with the name of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., but only as a name in a news headline or a textbook. I knew little about the man himself. That is, until 1982.

During my senior year at Jacksonville State University, I participated in a field trip to Atlanta with the Sociology Club. We visited several sites of social and cultural significance including the Atlanta Federal Corrections Facility, the Grady Hospital, the Ebenezer Baptist Church and the King Center.

While touring the sanctuary of the Ebenezer Baptist Church, another student and I ventured into the pulpit and stood briefly where Dr. King had stood to preach. The hostess immediately reprimanded us, informing us that in their church tradition, only ministers of the gospel were allowed to “stand behind the sacred desk.”

I relieved her sense of alarm by informing her that I was a “licensed” Baptist minister and that my friend was preparing to be an Episcopal priest, a claim which our faculty sponsor confirmed for the hostess.

Upon learning of our ministerial affiliation, the hostess asked the two of us a few specific questions about our knowledge of Dr. King and then invited us to follow her to the King Center adjacent to the historic church. She led us through the Archives Area, and then through a door that was labeled “Authorized Personnel Only.”

Once inside, we discovered we were in an expansive storage facility with row after row of shelves containing hundreds of boxes. She took a couple of boxes from the shelves, opened them, and allowed us to view the contents. We quickly realized that the hostess was giving us the privilege of examining some of Dr. King’s personal sermon notes, speeches, and correspondence. This information was being stored in the warehouse prior to being processed for the archives.

We observed notes that were mostly handwritten on hotel stationary, restaurant napkins, used mailing envelopes, and on the backside of “incoming” personal letters. While many respected orators labor intensively over manuscripts, revising multiple drafts in order to arrive at just the right script, it was obvious that Dr. King had a rhetorical gift for rendering a speech extemporaneously from a few scribbled thoughts.

After a half an hour or so, our time was up and we rejoined the others in our group. Only years later have I come to realize the distinct privilege given to me that day in Atlanta. Since that time, I have read most of Dr. King’s published writings as well as many commentaries and editorials about Dr. King’s life.

Dr. King should be remembered as a passionate Baptist minister. Following seminary, he served as pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. Later, he succeeded his father, Dr. Martin Luther King, Sr., as pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.

Dr. King should be remembered as an accomplished scholar. After graduating from Morehouse College in 1948, he went on to study theology at the Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania. He completed a doctorate in systematic theology at Boston University in 1955.

Dr. King should be remembered as a courageous civil rights advocate. His dream was equality for all people and he employed and encouraged non-violent protests to dramatically make his point.

In March of 1964, Dr. King was named Time Magazine’s “Man of the Year.” In December of 1964, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. The voice and vision of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. helped shape a movement that is still transforming our nation.

(Dr. Barry Howard serves as senior minister of First Baptist Church of Pensacola, Florida.)

Often I am asked, “What can I do to grow as a Christian?” There are several things that may help you grow in your faith but one of the most important things is to read the Bible everyday.

Sounds simple doesn’t it? But developing a daily discipline of reading the Bible can be challenging because it requires changing our daily habits. However, you are never too young or too old to start.

In the New Year’s season when folks traditionally make resolutions and establish goals for the coming year, why not resolve to read the Bible everyday? Consider some of the advantages of reading the Bible daily. Daily Bible reading increases our knowledge of God’s word. It gives us a more intimate and personal acquaintance with the biblical text. It helps us to discern God’s plan for us. It encourages us to integrate the teachings of the Bible into our daily lifestyle. It confronts our personal sin and affirms God’s forgiveness. It inspires us toward faithfulness and consistency in all of our tasks. Reading the Bible daily helps us to understand the contextual meaning of passages whereas those who read the Bible only occasionally or who read only a selected verse or two are more likely to superimpose their own presuppositions to the text. And finally, daily Bible reading helps keep your life and faith in focus.

Years ago, Lord Tennyson wrote, “Bible reading is an education in itself.” Here are some helpful strategies to develop a daily Bible reading plan:
• Begin by using a companion devotional guide. Our Daily Bread, Open Windows, and the Upper Room are just a few examples of devotional booklets that include both a daily Bible reading selection and a few inspirational comments and stories. There are also a growing number of online devotional sites, such as http://www.d365.org, that provide relevant daily devotionals, and other sites that you can subscribe to that will send daily devotional readings directly to your inbox.
• Try reading the Bible book by book. Some suggest alternating your reading between New Testament and Old Testament books.
• Read a chapter a day from the New Testament and the Old Testament plus a Psalm and one chapter of Proverbs. This approach provides a balanced diet of biblical perspectives. And because Proverbs is divided into thirty-one chapters, it makes for good systematic reading because of its compatibility with our monthly calendar.
• Read the Bible in one year. Many Christian publishing companies offer printed schedules for reading the Bible through in one year. The assignments for daily reading may prove challenging to slower readers but the rewards of knowledge and inspiration are definitely worth the challenge.

If you want to grow in your faith there are many practices that will enhance your spiritual maturity: daily prayer, regular worship participation, ethical decision-making, and ministry involvement. But one of the best places to begin your journey of spiritual growth if you are a new Christian, or to deepen your faith if you are a maturing Christian, is to develop the discipline of reading the Bible daily. If you really want to live by the book, resolve to spend quality time reading the book daily in 2011.

(Barry Howard serves as senior minister of First Baptist Church of Pensacola.)

There are many reasons why winter is often considered an emotional downer. Some counselors attribute this wintry melancholy to post-holiday stress, while others believe it has more to do with isolation caused by blustery weather.

Some studies associate seasonal depression with less sunlight and more darkness. Other factors contributing to depression include lack of exercise, changes in diet, prolonged grief (especially during the holidays) and straying from spiritual values.

One noted psychologist and popular clinician offers these suggestions for overcoming depression:

1. Visit your physician. Depression might be a symptom of a physical problem such as hypothyroidism, hypoglycemia or endocrine imbalance.

2. Eat healthy. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, and avoid caffeine, sugar, junk food and especially alcohol.

3. Get enough sleep. Exhaustion adds to depression. Sleep refreshes the body and uplifts the spirit.

4. Be active. Physical activity can lift you out of depression. Avoid too much television and too many passive activities.

5. Be social. Surrounding yourself with people, especially positive people, can keep your mind off your problems and distract you from feeling sorry for yourself. Social interactions help pull you from your depression.

6. Do fun activities. When you are depressed, nothing sounds enjoyable. But getting out and doing what you used to enjoy will improve your attitude and after a while you will have fun.

7. Write out your feelings. Emotions trapped inside you increase depression. Getting them on paper can release the internal pressure. Write about your anger, grief, confusion or anything else that is bothering you.

8. Surround yourself with positives. Fill your life with positive people, positive music, positive books and positive situations. Stay away from the negatives.

9. Check out your negative self-talk. Listen to what you are saying to yourself. If you are saying negative things to yourself, it will make you feel worse. Put a positive spin on your life.

10. Make plans and dreams for the future. Make a list of all the things you wish to do in the future and then plan how to make them a reality.

11. Develop your faith. Faith in God provides hope. It lifts a person above the frustrations of life. Faith pulls a person above depression and provides perspective to difficulties.

12. Get help if the depression persists. Meet with a pastor if there are spiritual issues, a counselor if there are emotional problems or your physician for appropriate medication. It is a sign of wisdom and courage to seek help if needed.

If you sense that depressing thoughts or feelings are dominating your life, be proactive and take appropriate steps to help overcome your depression.

A few days after the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph took the baby to the temple, as was the custom, to have him consecrated to the Lord. After offering their sacrifice, they encountered Simeon, a man who was “righteous and devout” and who was “waiting for the consolation of Israel.”

As Simeon was moved by the Spirit, he took the child in his arms and praised God, saying: “ For your eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”

After the blessing, Joseph and Mary marveled. But Simeon continued, “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many will be revealed. And a sword that will pierce your own soul too.”

Although the birth of Jesus is celebrated with peace, joy, hope, and love, this matter of following Jesus is risky business. It requires loyal commitment, frequent forgiveness, and stubborn faithfulness.

You have followed the star of Christmas to find Jesus in the manger. Now that a New Year has begun, will you follow him further?

(Barry Howard serves as senior minister of First Baptist Church of Pensacola.)