by Barry Howard

He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.                        Isaiah 2:4 NIV

The quest for peace is a universal longing, whether it be peace in our land or peace in our soul. Isaiah was weary of disputes and so are we. We are weary of terrorist threats, campus shootings, human trafficking, partisan politics, schoolyard bullying, workplace conflict, family fragmentation, and intrapersonal turmoil. We have a deep longing for peace.

Since childhood, I have been singing and praying, “Let there be peace on earth.” But this prayer has not been answered…yet. To date, we cannot identify an era in human history when the world was completely devoid of conflict or warfare.

On the second page of Genesis, the paradise called Eden is contaminated by sin, and then a couple of pages later, a fatal conflict erupts between Cain and Abel. The notion of war is born.

In the Old Testament, not only is there regional conflict between the Israelites and a variety of enemies, there is also internal conflict between Israel and Judah. This civil war eventually led to the establishment, at least for a few years, of the Southern Kingdom and the Northern Kingdom, often referred to as the Divided Kingdom. That’s what war does. It rouses suspicion, ramps up rhetoric, breeds hostility, and divides people into adversarial camps like the North and the South.

Fast forward to 2016: According to various news agencies there are at least 10 active wars and more than 30 armed conflicts ongoing in the world this year. The most lethal war is the civil war currently being waged in Syria, an ancient biblical land, where it is reported that over 400,000 have been killed.

But the promise of scripture is that there will come a day when the lion will lay down beside the lamb. Just not yet! There is coming a day when the nations will transform their instruments of war into tools for agriculture. Just not yet!

Until then we cannot recline in naïveté. In a world where systemic evil exists, when efforts at negotiation and arbitration have failed, military initiative is often an unfortunate but necessary option to destabilize tyrants, to rescue hostages, and to thwart terrorism. But even then, for civilized nations, the goal is to be protective, not vindictive.

In one of his most well-known sermons, Jesus proclaimed, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9). Especially in these days of escalated fear, let us pray for peace, let us work for peace, let us practice peace-making, and let us keep singing:

“Let there be peace on earth And let it begin with me. Let there be peace on earth The peace that was meant to be. With God as our father Brothers all are we. Let me walk with my brother In perfect harmony.”                       -Jill Jackson Miller and Sy Miller

As we approach Christmas, once again preparing to celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace, let us continue advocating for discernment, disarmament, containment, peaceful negotiations, and the eventual end of all wars, until that day when ultimate peace prevails.

(Barry Howard serves as the Senior Minister of First Baptist Church of Pensacola.)

by Barry Howard

Devotional reading, contemplation, and prayer are disciplines that nurture our spiritual health in all seasons. Advent, however, is a prime season for deepening or re-igniting one’s devotional life. And if you opt to go “paperless,” there are many excellent Advent devotional resources available online.

During my high school years, the student ministry at my home church challenged us to begin the practice of a daily “quiet time.” Since that time, my personal devotional time has been a primary catalyst for spiritual growth and direction.

Across the years, however, that seedling notion of a “quiet time” has emerged into an early morning ritual which centers on inspirational reading, prayer, and reflection. And the resources I utilize are highly diverse, ranging from testimonial to liturgical.

Three years ago I decided to go “paperless” in my devotional time choosing to utilize online Bible apps and a variety of e-resources for my devotional time. Online resources are especially helpful during holiday travels because the resources can be accessed on any internet computer or smart device including laptops, tablets, and smartphones.   Going paperless also keeps my desktop a lot less cluttered whether I am at home or in my office.

Most online devotional sites provide complimentary access, and the costs are covered through donations or advertising revenue. And perhaps most importantly, like any electronic communication, e-devotionals save paper and are friendly to the environment.

As I began preparing for Advent this year, I previewed a few good resources to share with my congregation and to use in my own personal devotional time. I wanted to find resources that are easily accessible, theologically sound, and culturally relevant.

Like other online devotional resources, Advent E-Devotions may be posted by churches, missional organizations, or individuals. A few of the devotional sites invite you to register your email address and they will send a daily devotional directly to your inbox. Other sites have corresponding “apps” that you can download making access easier on your mobile devices. And all online sites can be bookmarked or added to your favorites list for ease of access.

Here are a few examples of online Advent devotional options that you might find helpful:

Local churches often provide links to their Advent Devotional Booklets. For example, the Advent Guide at my church is compiled by our Children’s Ministry and is posted at http://fbcp.org/Uploaded/16-Advent.pdf. These booklets can usually be accessed as a PDF file, or downloaded to a tablet, Kindle, or E-reader.

D365.org is sponsored by Passport Camps and provides a daily Advent devotional that is appropriate for students or adults. (http://d365.org/)

Buckner International is a faith-based social service organization based in Dallas that serves hundreds of thousands of people each year across the United States and around the globe. Their Advent guide, written by assorted authors, can be downloaded at http://www.buckner.org/christmasdevotions.

The Denison Forum on Truth and Culture provides multiple resources to equip people to “change the culture for the kingdom.” The DFTC web site offers inspirational Advent devotions that are written by Janet Denison at http://dev30.denisonforum.org/store/send/1-root/34-advent-devotional.

Pittsburgh Theological Seminary provides an Advent Devotional W-Book written by members of the seminary community. This e-book follows Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary and can be downloaded at http://www.pts.edu/devotional_1.

Sacred Space is an online prayer site provided by the Irish Jesuits. They provide a guided Advent devotional series and an Advent Retreat option at www.sacredspace.ie.

Whether you are new to the practice of a daily devotional experience or a long time practitioner, you may discover that a good Advent E-Devotion will enrich your spiritual preparation for Christmas, and ultimately deepen your celebration of the birth of the Christ.

(Barry Howard serves as the Senior Minister at the First Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida)

by Barry Howard

The holiday season is here once again, and with the festivities comes multiple invitations to give to worthwhile missional causes. Determining which ones to give to can be painstaking and time consuming. Because of the multiple opportunities and solicitations that come our way, it is important that we are generous and smart in our giving.
 
Many businesses and foundations have pre-determined guidelines for determining the charitable causes to which they will make contributions. I believe it is possible for individuals and families to make both wise and generous decisions about charitable holiday giving as well, but you need a plan. At our house, we employ the following guidelines to help us filter through the requests and determine which charities, missions, and ministries will go on our Christmas list;

1. Our first gift goes to the mission offering of our church. Throughout the year, our tithe (the first 10% of our income) goes to support the ministries of our church. Primarily, this is an act of obedience in response to what we believe the Bible teaches. Through the years, however, we have observed that the cumulative projects of a local church make a significant impact on improving individual lives. So, at Christmas we give an additional gift to the missions offering to support the work of missionaries around the globe.
2. We tend to give to organizations that are faith-based and focused on assisting the “least of these,” those who are disconnected, disadvantaged, or disenfranchised.
3. We aim to give to organizations that have low overhead and administrative costs. We don’t want to give to an organization that exists to sustain itself. We want to give to organizations that provide a monumental service to people in need or that serve as conduits to get funds and resources to people in need.
4. We give to organizations that have demonstrated accountability, those who have a reputable board of advisers and a reporting mechanism to let us know where previous gifts have been used.
5. We determine not to do “guilt giving” or to respond to “arm-twisting requests.” We are motivated more by the missional pulse of a group or project than by the emotional plea of the one making the request.
6. We do not give directly to persons on the street, at intersections, or interstate ramps. Our experience is that people are most effectively helped through missional organizations and relationships. (We do offer to help get persons on the street to our mission center for assistance, or we offer to buy them a meal, but we do not give money, simply because of the high rate of manipulation and addiction among regular panhandlers.)
7. We recognize that some good organizations will be left out of our giving plan. There are thousands of organizations, ministries, and causes that are trustworthy, accountable, and effective, but we cannot support all of them. There are hundreds we would like to support, but our resources are limited. So, we choose a few of those organizations or projects that fit our criteria and we give to them cheerfully.
8. We give ourselves a matching challenge that helps us to give generously and according to how we have been blessed. We try to give an amount equal to the total of what we spend on gifts for family and friends. For example, if we spend $1200 on gifts, we will also give a matching $1200 to missions or charitable causes. Other friends of ours gift an amount equal to their season tickets for college football or an amount equivalent to their annual dues at the country club.
9. We have transitioned to electronic giving, if the recipient organization provides a secure web portal for contributions. E-giving transfers our gift to the organization more quickly and it gives us an immediate receipt of the contribution.
10. We re-evaluate who we are giving to each year and do not automatically give this year to the same groups as last year.

As we grow and learn better stewardship practices, we realize that we are not liable for supporting every worthy cause. However, we are accountable to God for the resources placed within our care. We have the privilege, especially during the holidays, of generously discerning from among many worthwhile causes those projects and organizations we will support.

As you plot and plan your holiday giving, don’t be overwhelmed with guilt for not supporting every single cause. Be generous and smart. Give to those causes that have a proven track record of ministering to spiritual, physical, and emotional needs.

by Barry Howard

Many of us will be privileged to gather on Thanksgiving Day with family and friends to enjoy a bountiful feast and hearty conversations around the table. And either in our morning devotional time, or the prayer before the meal, we will give thanks for our many blessings.

As one of our treasured holidays, Thanksgiving is a day set aside, not only to give thanks, but to remind us of the ongoing importance of gratitude. In I Thessalonians 5: 16-18, Paul encourages believers to “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Elie Wiesel proposes that, “When a person doesn’t have gratitude, something is missing in his or her humanity. A person can almost be defined by his or her attitude toward gratitude.” During my college years, I read a little book entitled, Agaperos, written by Grady Nutt, a unique Baptist minister who was called the “Prime Minister of Humor.” In that book, as in his sermons, Grady emphasized the importance of choosing “an attitude of gratitude.”

As we grow in our walk with the Lord, we may discover that choosing a disposition of gratitude enriches life in more ways than we have previously imagined. Experiencing and expressing gratitude throughout the ever-changing seasons of life has a way of re-shaping our perspective and re-formatting our attitude.

In my journey of faith, I am discovering that gratitude encourages me and others around me. When I am frustrated and tend to see the glass half empty rather than half full, I find that the practice of “counting my blessings” infuses me with encouragement, and that encouragement spills over into the lives of others. Gratitude has a way of refocusing my attention on the positive and reminding me of how blessed I am.

Gratitude also promotes good health. That does not mean that gratitude brings instantaneous healing, nor does it make us immune from viruses or exempt from accidents. But a heart of gratitude promotes spiritual, emotional, and physical health in at least a couple of ways. First, gratitude trumps toxic negativity and complaint, cleansing our perspective and renewing our focus. And second, gratitude seems to put us in a positive frame of mind which allows our body to better produce and release antibodies and restorative enzymes that work to promote health and wholeness.

A detailed report on a study of the psychology of gratitude is found in Robert Emmons’ book, Thanks!: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier. In his research at the University of California-Berkeley, Dr. Emmons found that those who practice grateful thinking “reap emotional, physical and interpersonal benefits.” The study revealed that individuals who regularly keep a gratitude journal report fewer illness symptoms, generally feel better about their lives as a whole, and are more optimistic about the future. This led Dr. Emmons to conclude that gratitude is both a personal choice and healthy response to our life experiences.

Ultimately, gratitude inspires me to serve. Gratitude is not about counting my blessings just to make me a happier consumer. Genuine gratitude motivates me to share my blessings. For me, the quality of life is best measured, not by how much I have, but how effectively I use resources I have been given to serve.

With good reason, the scripture encourages us to “give thanks in all circumstances.” For the believer, thanksgiving is not just a day of feasting and festivity. Choosing an attitude of gratitude is a daily discipline, a personal practice that gradually and steadily transforms us from the inside out.

(Barry Howard serves as Senior Minister of the First Baptist Church in Pensacola.)

by Barry Howard

God of faith and freedom, on this Veteran’s Day we are thankful for all the men and women, past and present, who have served or are currently serving in the various branches of our nation’s military services.

We are grateful for the privilege of living in a diverse country that persistently thrives on the privileges and perplexities of freedom.  And we are thankful for each and every veteran who has paved the way for our unrivaled liberties, treasured liberties that allow us to freely make choices about our work, our worship, our political convictions, and our lifestyle.  We are forever indebted to these past and present veterans who risked life and limb in the pursuit and protection of these freedoms.  

As we observe this Veteran’s Day by highlighting the valor and courage of our veterans, we also confess our concern for the current state of our nation. We sincerely ask you to forgive our sins, even the ones we are slow to confess, and to heal our land. You tell us in an ancient but relevant scripture that, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (II Chronicles 7:14)

On this day, we pray for the current leaders and the newly elected leaders of our nation, our state, and our community that they will embody wisdom, exercise courage, and build consensus.  And we especially pray for the men and women who currently serve in high risk areas of the world, that they will fulfill their mission effectively and return home safely and soon.

Just as you have revealed yourself to be a freedom-loving God, send us into the world to be your freedom-loving people.  And may the stories we hear and the memories we share on this Veteran’s Day inspire us to live responsibly, serve cooperatively, and sacrifice selflessly, even as we work courageously toward liberty and justice for all your children.  We pray in the name of the One who gives ultimate freedom.  Amen.

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

by Barry Howard

Gracious and patient God,

Today I pray for those who are members, formally or informally, in the congregation I serve.

I pray for the young and the elderly, the sick and healthy, the employed and the unemployed, the happily married and the unhappily married, the active and the semi-active, the veteran saint and the new believer, and the spiritually passionate and the spiritually frustrated.

I am aware that there are diverse and divergent life experiences confronting each individual on this day. I pray for those who are at the top of the mountain, experiencing success in their business, stability in their home, growth in their faith, good health, and/or unspeakable joy in their heart.

I also pray for those who are currently in the valley of despair, experiencing frustration in their business, friction in their home life, lukewarmness in their faith, mounting concerns with their health, and/or perplexing anxiety in their soul.

I pray for every member of this spiritual family to know and appreciate the value of spiritual community, to worship and to serve with regularity, to listen and to speak with intentionality, to be honest and to be humble, to be reverent and to be respectful, and to weep and rejoice, privately and together, as needed.

Help us as your family to balance those ongoing tasks of reaching out to those outside our family while ministering to each other within the family, so that neither task is lacking.

Help us as your people to work energetically for the common good of your community-yet-under-construction, so that our personal ambitions and our preferential agendas do not derail or defeat your initiatives that are often invisible to the self-absorbed eye.

Help us as your church to experience the joy of serving, the elation of cheerful and sacrificial giving, a peace that surpasses understanding, and the unique bonding that comes from sticking close by each other during all of the seasons of life.

Help us as your children to continually and wisely realign our lives, not conforming to the illusions of pop culture, but always being transformed by the durable and timeless work of Jesus Christ.

Keep us in tune with your Spirit who convicts and comforts, guards and guides, equips and encourages, and who is working actively to generate good in all circumstances, especially those difficult circumstances that we perceive as devoid of good.

Since life in this world is imperfect and every individual life including our own falls short of your standard, teach us to be more gracious and less judgmental, more inclusive and less exclusive, more compassionate and less condemning, because we have already seen this kind of grace demonstrated in the story of Jesus.

In this crucial day in time when it is tempting to neglect spiritual community due to our busy schedules, to replace worship with trendy entertainment, and to prioritize self-interests above service, remind us that we are people of the towel, both to wash each other’s feet, to dry each other’s tears, and to wipe clean the slate of sins on earth even as you have purged our sins from our private record in heaven.

Encourage and equip us to be your hands and your feet, your light and your love, and your disciples and your servants in a world that needs authentic witnesses of your love and your mercy.

May we receive each day as a gift, and like Jesus, to value relationships above the quest for riches and the preservation of traditions, and to prioritize covenant loyalty above comfort and convenience.

As you prepare us to live life to the fullest, shape us into incarnate representatives of your presence and exemplary constituents of your grace, for we pray in the name of the One who came to give us life and life more abundantly.   Amen

Gracious and Loving God,

Today I come to you as a pastor praying for pastors. I pray for all men and women from every walk of faith who are called into this peculiar and rewarding vocation of encouraging and equipping others for their journey.

First I pray for pastors to be encouraged. Although this work brings much joy, this work can also be highly discouraging. I pray for those pastors who are right now living through the dark night of the soul, some experiencing darkness because of the challenges of their congregation, others experiencing darkness because of emotional depression, and still others experiencing darkness because of physical or spiritual fatigue. I especially pray for those pastors who are discerning whether to go to a new place of service, and for those pastors who have confirmed the call to stay where they are to seize the opportunities and tackle the challenges. I pray for the energy of pastors to be revitalized so that pastors can dream dreams and have visions, and do their work with the right spirit.

I pray for pastors to be faithful. I pray for pastors to live in faithful covenant to their families, both their spiritual family and their immediate family, and to always distinguish between their covenant responsibilities of the two. I pray for pastors to be faithful to our calling, always discerning and following your missional initiatives, and to be continually engaged in dialogue with you.

I pray for pastors to be anointed with a fresh dose of courage. These are stressful times and it is no time for your shepherds to be sheepish. You did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of courage, so help us as pastors to speak and act courageously with moral and ethical conviction for causes that are just and right. Help us to act with courageous conviction in living and preaching the good news to all people regardless of ethnicity, creed, or economic status. And help us to have the courageous insight to navigate our congregations toward the ways of Christ, and away from any popular fads, trends and perceived shortcuts to growth that both trivialize the gospel and minimize the Christian experience.

I pray for pastors to have endurance. I pray for pastors to work intentionally and intelligently, to carefully manage the demands of an unpredictable schedule, to faithfully practice Sabbath-keeping, and to respond with tough love to those occasional high maintenance saints who can become like thorns in the flesh and pains in all of the wrong places.

I pray for pastors to be effective preachers. I pray for us to be both prophets and poets, who tell the truth and love the people. I pray for pastors to speak with authority from on high and yet have street savvy, so that we can simultaneously be heavenly minded and do some earthly good. In a world filled with bad news, I pray for pastors to be articulate and welcomed voices of good news, bringing your right word at the right time.

Lord, it is an engaging, yet gut-wrenching time to be a pastor. And although faith no longer enjoys privilege and preference in the public square, we are confident that the message of faith is astoundingly relevant at the major intersections of life and that the message may be heard more profoundly in the congestion of the daily grind than from the assigned seats of privilege.

In a world where people are not content with easy answers; where truth is sometimes black, sometimes white and sometimes gray; where shallow spirituality doesn’t “cut the mustard”; and where seekers are searching for authenticity; help us as pastors to rise to the occasion to speak the truth in love, and to be more about the business of the kingdom than the kingdom of business. Help us as pastors to find security in our belonging to you and not in the whims of the culture in which we live or the opinions of the beloved people we service.

For every pastor, and especially me, O Lord,
I pray for clarity of call and clarity of conscience.
I pray for physical health and spiritual vitality.
I pray for emotional stability and spiritual sensitivity.
Restore unto us both the joy of our salvation and the joy of ministry,
That the fire in our bones will be transformed into the energy and enthusiasm with which we serve.

In the name of the One who calls us, who encourages us, who empowers us, and the One who has promised to be with us until the end of the age and beyond.   Amen

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

(In 2008, I interviewed Jet Rogers about his memories of serving as an assistant coach at Alabama under legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. Last Saturday the Kentucky game, the University of Alabama recognized the undefeated 1966 team.  Coach Rogers is now the oldest living coach from that 1966 Alabama team and I am honored to serve as his pastor. The following is a re-posting of my interview with Coach Rogers in 2008.)

Memories of Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, 25 Years Later

By Barry Howard

As a child growing up in Alabama, I knew firsthand that legendary Alabama football coach, Paul “Bear” Bryant, was larger than life. Twenty-five years after Coach Bryant’s death, his name still invokes awe and respect. Known for his trademark Hound’s-tooth hat and his low rumbling growl, Coach Bryant is remembered as one of college football’s winningest coaches and one of Alabama’s most memorable citizens.

Although he did not have a degree in the subject, Coach Bryant employed sound psychology in his coaching strategy. As he urged ordinary young men to become champions, Coach Bryant taught perseverance and endurance: Never quit. It is the easiest cop-out in the world. Set a goal and don’t quit until you attain it. When you do attain it, set another goal, and don’t quit until you reach it. Never quit.

Coach Bryant retired at the end of the 1982 season with a record of 323 wins, 85 losses and 17 ties. He died on January 26, 1983.

Coach Jet Rogers, now an active member in our church, served as an assistant coach on Coach Bryant’s staff at the University of Alabama from June 1966 through July 1971. I took the opportunity recently to ask Coach Rogers about his memories of Coach Bryant:

Question: When Coach Bryant stepped onto the field, he was respected by his players, the fans, and his opponents. How would you describe Coach Bryant off the field?

Coach Rogers: He was a business man, reserved. One-on-one he would listen to what I had to say, then try to give me good advice.

Coach was not critical of others and kept a positive attitude. He would not allow us to use the word “can’t.” Beginning on Thursday, he had on his “game face” through Saturday, and we coaches would steer clear of him.

Question: What was Coach Bryant’s attitude toward his players and staff members?

Coach Rogers: He believed we all were part of his family. He loved us!! He would worry a great deal about our traveling so much in automobiles as we recruited prospects. We truly felt he was like a father to us, because he pushed us to do more and to be better in every possible way.

Question: What are some of your most significant memories from working with Coach Bryant?

Coach Rogers: I learned a lot about life and sports.

• WINNING: Coach had us believing that we were going to win, regardless of who we played.

• HELPING: I needed some financial help and asked Coach Bryant to call the bank for me and set up a loan. He proceeded to give me a father-son talk and wrote me a personal check to meet the need. Also, one year, my wife and children were in a car wreck. Coach Bryant visited our daughter in the hospital and presented her a gift which thrilled her to death.

• COMPASSION: My dad passed away right after the 1967 Sugar Bowl game. Following the funeral, we returned to Tuscaloosa, and Coach Bryant walked down the hall to my office. He closed the door and told me, “A man’s daddy is the most important person he has because when you’re down and out, maybe broke, or your wife is leaving you, or things get out of control, you can always go to your dad and ask for advice. He is the one person that will help you. Jet, I know how you feel, now with your dad gone. I want to be a father figure for you.” This meant so much to me.          

Question: In recent weeks the ethics and sportsmanship of some athletes and coaches have been called into question. In your opinion, did Coach Bryant practice good ethics and sportsmanship?

Coach Rogers: Yes. Coach informed parents that he would lead and teach their sons the ethics and rules of the game. He also had his own rules—some were written down and the main one, in my thinking, was: “Don’t embarrass your family; don’t embarrass yourself, the coaching staff or the University.” Coach Bryant told his players if they got an unsportsmanship penalty, they would not play anymore in that game. Further, if the player blatantly caused a penalty, he would not play in the next game. This happened to one of our best defensive players in one game, prior to our game against Auburn. Consequently, he was taken from the game and disallowed to play Auburn.

Coach stressed “respect for self and respect for authority.” His players wore a coat and tie to all the games. Also, they were to be mindful of the fact that when their coach stood up to speak to them after finishing a meal together, everyone was to stop eating and “listen up.” We were at a Bowl game and Coach finished eating, stood up, and tapped his watch a couple of times, then faced the team. One player continued eating his meal, and Coach Bryant said to him, “I want you to get up from the table, go to your room, get your suitcase, and head back to Tuscaloosa.”

Question: Do you still have contact with some of the players who played for you and Coach Bryant?

Coach Rogers: Yes. While at Pensacola High School, I hired three former players: Alec Pittman, Steve Root, and Robin Cary. I have been in a position to help one or two Bama boys in their search for coaching jobs.

About two years ago (2006), the University of Alabama honored the 1966 football team. This team went undefeated, plus a Sugar Bowl win against Nebraska. This 1966 team is known as the team without a ring, because we were the only Division I team without a loss or a tie. We all were so excited to be together again, everybody was hugging each other’s necks! These ex-players were thanking us for helping them accomplish so much. We should have been thanking them. Players and coaches are family—Coach Bryant instilled this in us.

Question: Are there any players who stand out as having demonstrated exceptional character during or since their playing years?

Coach Rogers: I can think of many players. John Croyle, Leroy Jordan, Jeremiah Castille, Ray Perkins, Woodrow Lowe, Joe LaBue, and Eddie Morgan are a few I shall mention. Coach Bryant expected us to be of good character. In his words, “If you don’t have character, you better get it soon or you will be gone.”

Question: How would you want others to remember Coach Bryant?

Coach Rogers: I honestly believe that most all of the players under Coach Bryant loved, respected, and honored him. I certainly did. I still miss chatting with him over the phone after we moved away from Tuscaloosa. If you were not fortunate to have known Coach Bryant, please read about him. I have heard comments concerning Coach that are untrue. It really upsets me when I hear people say that he drank too much. I was in his company many times, and I never witnessed him drinking excessively. I don’t think he would exhibit poor judgment. He meant so much too many—more than anyone I have ever known. People need to know that he molded lives.

Question: How do you hope your players remember you?

Coach Rogers: I loved each of them and tried to give them Christian leadership. I tried to help mold their lives. Two of my players became ordained ministers. I attended a funeral in which an ex-player preached. He shared with me that I had a strong influence on him. I appreciated this more than if he had said I was a great coach. I hope each of these men remember me as a coach who respected them, cared for them, and gave them something to lead toward productive lifestyles.

Question: What advice would you give to young high school and college athletes concerning sports and life?

Coach Rogers: I would emphasize these four areas…

• ATTITUDE – Always have a good attitude. If you are on the 3^rd or 4^th team, don’t pout; just convince the coach that you are going to get better. Take your sport serious and use it to help mold your life for the future.

• PUNCTUALITY – Always be on time for practice, meetings, meals, classes, etc.

• EGO – Never get the big head. Be humble, be thankful for the ability you have and opportunities that you make happen. Always give your best; nothing less than your best.

• SPIRITUAL LIFE– Go to the church of your choice. Try to live close to God and let Him guide you daily. If you do this, you will accomplish much and be a happier individual.

 

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

A Pastoral Prayer
September 11, 2016

O God of grace and peace,
On this fifteenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001
We remember an atrocious day, a day that we wish we could forget.
Our grief still lingers, but our faith still hopes.

We confess our ongoing need of your transformative and emerging grace
For we are all too mindful that this date still grieves us
With emotions that are unsettling
And with memories that stir our fears.

As we attempt to apply your words to life,
And to live by faith as we embrace your promise of a better future
We confess that our anger and grief from that fateful day are not nearly resolved.
And that we still harbor impulses of hate and retaliation deep within.

And yet we acknowledge that our hurt does not compare to the pain
of those who were touched more directly
through the unexpected and unfair loss
of family members, friends, and colleagues.

We shudder at the memory of horrific images of death and destruction,
We grieve over the deaths of the sons and daughters of our nation,
As well as the subsequent casualties among our allies and our adversaries.
We fret over the ongoing threat of terrorist initiatives
And we long for a civilized and lasting resolution
So that all may live in peace
And that those who have longed for liberation from tyranny
Might govern and be governed with dignity and integrity.

Rather than being consumed by our grief,
And controlled by our fears
And constrained by our anxieties,
Let us set our minds to addressing any injustices that precipitate hostility,
Let us direct our souls to living out our moral conviction,
Let us turn our hearts to loving the poor,
and the disadvantaged,
and the disenfranchised.
And let us determine to fight terror,
Not with our own terroristic threats,
But with a responsible and courageous exercise of freedom,
And with a proactive and missional faith
That addresses the spiritual, physical, and emotional needs of humankind,
Especially the underprivileged and the underserved.

And though it runs counter to our deepest instincts,
You continue to teach us to love our enemies,
so that we do not become like them.

Today, especially today,
We pray for the leaders of our nation and our world
And for the leaders of our state and our community
To act and react with wisdom and discernment,
And to maintain a disposition that will defuse conflict
And advance the cause of peace.
And we pray for the leaders of our churches and synagogues
And for people of diverse faiths
To act and react with transformative grace and eternal hope,
And to maintain a disposition that will dispel propaganda
And advance the cause of truth and compassion.

We offer our prayer in the strong name of the One who came to bring peace on earth and goodwill to all humankind. Amen

by Barry Howard

Fifteen years ago on September 11, 2001 I was sitting in the home of one of our members meeting with a widow to plan a memorial service for her husband who had passed away the previous evening. As we were finalizing the date and time for the service, a family member interrupted us and asked me to step into the kitchen. There she pointed to the television and began to cry as she said, “I thought you needed to know what is happening in New York.”

My heart sank as I watched the replay of the first plane crashing into the tower one. I returned to the living room, led the family in prayer, and prayed for our nation, not knowing that more attacks were looming.

I quickly made my way back to our church campus, which was only a couple of blocks away. I found our entire staff gathered around the tv in my study, and the second tower was hit just as I entered. After a few moments of shock and tears, our team kicked into ministry mode, shared an emotional time of prayer, and began strategizing about ways we could minister to our church and community in light of these events.

Like every community around the country, members of our congregation had family members and friends who lived in New York or Washington, or who were traveling in that area, or who were serving in the armed forces who would eventually be responding to these horrid acts of terror. Eventually, it seemed that everyone was connected by friendship or kinship to someone directly affected by the attacks of that fateful day.

Although those events occurred fifteen years ago today, our individual and collective memories are still vivid and painful. We remember where we were when we heard the news. We remember bystanders fleeing from the scene and first responders rushing toward the scene. We remember gathering in churches, chapels, temples, and synagogues to pray.

What have we learned about ourselves and our world since 9/11? In particular, as followers of Jesus, what are the proactive steps we can take to be “salt” and “light” in a post 9/11 world?

• Find your greatest security in your relationship with God. Psalm 46:1 teaches us that, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in our time of trouble.” Our faith doesn’t exempt us from tragedy, disaster, or even acts of terrorism. But our faith does serve as a compass to help us navigate the most difficult and challenging circumstances of life.
• Refuse to live in fear. We cannot allow fear to dissuade us from fulfilling our mission. One of the goals of terrorism is to invoke a life-disrupting fear. II Timothy 1:7 reminds us that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” Obviously we need to be wise, savvy, and circumspect at home and abroad. However, we cannot let the fear of the unknown keep us from going where we are called to go and doing what we are called to do.
• Avoid responding to terrorism with terrorism. We cannot allow terrorists to provoke us into behaving like terrorists. In other words, you cannot defeat terrorism by conducting acts of terrorism. Followers of Jesus are called to respond to adversaries with the spirit of Jesus.
• Express gratitude to first responders. The events of 9-11 gave to many of us a deeper appreciation for the valiant service of firemen, police officers, paramedics, and other first responders. As a pastor and community leader, I want to affirm those who serve as first responders and to encourage others to consider these vocational tracks as honorable career opportunities.
• Learn the basic tenets of other faiths like Islam. A huge challenge for those unfamiliar with the religions of the world is learning to distinguish between radical Islamic groups, Jihadists for example, and mainstream Muslims who not only reject methods of terrorism, but who also must contend with it. Just like radical “Christian” groups such as the Branch Davidians and the Peoples Temple do not represent the majority of Christians, members of Al Queda, ISIS, and Boka Haram do not represent the vast majority of the Islamic world.
• Be careful not to become xenophobic. Xenophobia is the fear of people from different countries, cultures, or ethnicities. Just because most of the terrorists of 9/11 were from the Middle East does not mean that everyone who wears the common wardrobe of a Middle Easterner, such as a burka or a turban, is to be suspected of terrorism.
• Pray for our president and national leaders. The task of making decisions during turbulent times is stressful and tedious. No military or political leader in history has faced the type or magnitude of threat posed by terrorist groups. No matter your preferred political party, it is imperative that people of faith pray for those who lead our nation to exercise wisdom and discernment.

A year after the 9/11 attacks, I was asked by a local newspaper, “How has the world changed since September 11, 2001?” The response I gave in 2002 is still relevant in 2016:

I believe the world has changed in so many ways that the majority of those changes are still being realized and processed.   From my perspective, it seems that our nation is going through the various stages of grief (shock, denial, depression, panic, guilt, resentment, and hope), and like any normal family system, not everyone is in the same stage.   Because the assault on 9/11 was a multi-dimensional attack on the spiritual, social, psychological, and economic fabric of our country, our sense of loss is more complex. Not only were thousands of lives lost, but so were many of our presuppositions, especially those regarding personal safety, economic security, and religious superiority. I hope and pray that we will emerge as individuals who are more circumspect, more patient, less acquisitive, and more spiritually grounded than we have previously demonstrated.

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