by Barry Howard

On Monday January 19, our nation will observe a holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Even though I grew up in Alabama in the heat of the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. King’s name meant little more to me than a name in a textbook. That is, until 1982. 

In 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 at 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.

On January 20, our nation will inaugurate a new President, one whose voice was heard, and whose election made possible, in part, due to the work of Dr. King.  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.)

Check out the new FBCP Notes site at www.fbcpnotes.blogspot.com. Each week the notes from the sermons and Bible studies will be posted on this site so that you can review the points of emphasis or share with friends.

Continue to check www.bayhillrev.blogspot.com for articles, columns, and news. Notes and outlines previously posted on www.bayhillrev.blogspot.com have been transferred to the new site.

When I was in college and frequently hanging around the Baptist Campus Ministry, when someone would remark, “I’m praying for you.”  Occasionally there was a wisecracker in the group who would say, “Good. I need the prayer and you need the practice.” 

If you are like me, I am strengthened by the prayers of my friends and fellow believers.  And when it comes to prayer, I really do need the practice…the regular practice of praying that stretches and enriches my walk with the Lord.

This Sunday as we continue Celebrating the Spiritual Disciplines, we are focused on the discipline of prayer.  During worship, our featured text is Luke 11:1-4 and I will be describing prayer as “Talking Honest to God.”

Since many are in need of our prayers (and most of us really do need to practice), as we prepare to focus on prayer, I am asking you to join me in praying about the following concerns and opportunities that affect our church and our nation:

• Pray for Disciple Now Weekend where over 100 of our students will be challenged to radically follow Jesus.
• Pray for our Combined Worship Gathering this Sunday that momentum and inspiration of being together with our students might propel all ages into dynamic weeks of outreach and discipleship.
• Pray for the upcoming inauguration, our incoming President, his administration, and our Congress, that they will lead with wisdom, discernment, and integrity.
• Pray for the families and businesses who are adversely affected by the current recession.
• Pray for the many members of our congregation who are discovering and reaffirming their spiritual gifts and connecting with ministry teams.
• Pray for those in our 32501 Target Zone who need to be connected to God and church.
• Pray for me and our ministers as we equip and lead and challenge our diverse congregation to embrace our diverse gifts and seize our unique opportunities.

I look forward to seeing you Sunday as we gather for worship and Bible study.

During this first quarter of 2009, we focus on Celebrating the Spiritual Disciplines in our Bible study groups and our worship gatherings.  Last Sunday we kicked off the series by defining spiritual disciplines as those practices that help us stay in tune with God and God’s purposes for your life. 

As we grow in our faith, we are encouraged to live in a way that honors God every day in every way.  Colossians 3:17 (NIV) challenges us to translate our faith into action so that “whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”                   

Next Sunday we will zero in on the spiritual discipline of meditation.  Here is a list of the spiritual disciplines we will consider during the series:

Meditation                  Simplicity                   Confession

Prayer                         Stewardship              Worship

Fasting                       Submission                Guidance

Study                          Service                       Celebration

 

No matter whether you are a veteran Christian or a new believer, you can grow deeper in your faith and stronger in your capacity to serve by learning and practicing the spiritual disciplines.

In 2009, we are calling on each other to discover our spiritual gifts and to get involved with at least one ministry team.  We are learning that the spiritual disciplines help us to sharpen our spiritual gifts so that we can serve more effectively.

Here are some ways you may discover your spiritual gifts:

• Take one of the spiritual gift inventories (available online or on hard copy).
• Enlist a small group of trusted friends or an accountability partner to affirm or identify the gifts they see in you.
• Evaluate your spiritual passion.  (What area of service brings you joy?  Or for what area are you specifically burdened?)

Then connect with one or more ministry teams that correlate to your spiritual gift and passion.  Our church has several congregational ministry teams and deacon-led ministry teams that provide specific opportunities for you to serve.

On Sunday evenings in January during our Winter Bible Study, we are considering lifestyle disciplines, other practices that help us to honor God in the 21^st century.  We meet at five o’clock in Pleitz Chapel.  Bring a Bible, a notebook, and arrive early to get a seat.

During our Midweek Worship Gatherings on Wednesdays in January, I am covering the lifestyle disciplines from Richard Foster’s book, Money, Sex, and Power.  It’s a great opportunity to bring a friend and introduce them to our First Baptist family and our relevant life application conversations.

I look forward to seeing you this week in worship and Bible study.

The start of a new year is usually perceived as a season for clean slates and new beginnings. Depending on your perspective, you might consider New Year’s Day as a time to turn over a new leaf, a time to start that post-holiday diet, or a time to generally clean up your act and put your life in order.

I am not usually inclined to compose a list of New Year’s resolutions, but in 2009 there are some specific goals I want to work on personally and professionally. As I prepare for 2009, here are my big five resolutions…more or less:

1. Eat less and exercise more. My physician keeps reminding me that I can increase the probability of enjoying prolonged good health if I begin now to eat a little less (reducing 200-300 calories per day) and to exercise more (30-45 minutes per day).

2. Talk less and listen more. Several times in children’s sermons I have emphasized that God created us with two ears and one mouth so that we could listen twice as much as we talk. As I grow older, I am discovering the need for me as an adult to limit my speech and to be more intentional and focused in my listening.

3. Meet less and minister more. In recent months, the church I serve has taken some strategic steps to minimize the number of meetings we ask leaders and workers to attend, and to increase the number of ministry opportunities we provide. Even as a church staff member, if I am not careful, my time can be consumed in meetings where my presence is not really needed. In 2009, I want to spend more time engaged in ministry action.

4. Criticize less and encourage more. Maybe it’s the after effect of an election year or maybe it is a side effect of the recession, but I have heard enough criticism in 2008 to taste its toxicity. While constructive criticism may be of great value, negative and petty criticism tends to be contagious and demoralizing. Our local and national leaders, our ministers, our colleagues and our neighbors need our prayers and encouragement more than they need darts of criticism flying their way.

5. Spend less and save more. As I experience the challenges of the current recession, and as I think about retirement possibilities down the road, I am persuaded that I need to spend a little less this year on frivolous things and to put a little more in savings to provide stability for the future.

As I prepare to ring in the New Year, there some things I need to do a little less often and others I need to do a little more frequently. How about you?

Last week one of our energetic nephews, Jacob, was in the Christmas play at his school. He was excited about his role. Parents and grandparents were in attendance with videocameras in hand. When they reported to Aunt Amanda and Uncle Barry about the good job Jacob did, I asked, “What part did he play?”  I was surprised when they answered, “He was the donkey that Mary rode into Bethlehem.”  Then came the remark, “Somebody has to do it.”

It’s true that many of us play a lot of different roles in God’s church and God’s kingdom.  No matter what role you play, I appreciate the servant heart, the spiritual gifts, and the growing faithfulness you offer to the Lord through the ministries of First Baptist Church.

On behalf of our support staff and ministers, “thank you” for the encouraging notes, Christmas cards, and various goodies you have shared with us during the holiday season.

We wish for you and your family a meaningful and merry Christmas, and true joy and peace for the New Year!

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness; it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair; we had everything before us, we had nothing before us; we were all going directly to Heaven, we were all going the other way. –Charles Dickens

In 1859 Charles Dickens published A Tale of Two Cities, a historical novel set in London and Paris detailing the social and economic challenges experienced during the French Revolution, a conflict that impacted most of Western Europe. Dickens’ novel has the recurrent theme of resurrection, chronicling how several individuals faced the challenges of those days with perseverance, determination, and resilience.

Though we are definitely not living in the worst of times, we are certainly experiencing the toughest economy in recent years…a challenging time to keep your business afloat, a challenging time to maintain your job, a challenging time to make ends meet. But the worst of our times can bring out the best in us. Challenging times can fortify our faith, strengthen our character, and deepen our resolve.

Your faith and your attitude can determine whether you view your challenging times with pessimism, hopelessness, and despair, or whether you muster your courage and confront your challenges with perseverance, determination, and resilience.

In your Advent journey, as you progress toward Christmas, remember that the babe in the manger was born to bring Light to your season of darkness.

On the next two Sundays, December 21 and 28, we will begin Bible Study at 8:45 and share in combined services of worship at 10:00. Join in the fellowship in the Atrium from 8:15-8:45. Be encouraged to wear your Christmas colors to each of our remaining December services.

Christmas is a great time to invite a friend or neighbor to join you as we gather for worship and Bible study.

Holiday Schedule

Dec 21 8:45a.m. Bible Study

10:00 a.m. Worship in the Sanctuary

Dec 24 5:00 p.m. Candle and Carols

Dec 28 8:45 a.m. Bible Study

10:00 a.m. Worship in Chipley Hall

Advent comes alive with candles and carols, prophecy and promise, friendship and faith. On recent Sundays we have lit the Prophecy Candle, reminding us of the messianic promises rendered by prophets long ago, and the Angels Candle, highlighting the angelic announcements to Elizabeth and Zechariah, to Joseph and Mary, and to Shepherds watching their flocks by night. This Sunday we will light the Shepherds Candle, a reminder of our responsibility to spread the good news about the child born in Bethlehem

Surrounded by colorful seasonal décor, we will sing the carols of the season and we will focus on the importance of Marching to a Different Drummer from Romans 12:1-2. Then on Sunday evening, we will gather at six o’clock for In Excelsis Deo presented by our Festival Chorus and Orchestra.

Speaking of décor, for many years we have enjoyed an outdoor nativity scene on the southern front lawn, a scene provided by Elliott and Frances Dobelstein in memory of their son, Wayne. We are grateful that the Dobelsteins have provided a new indoor nativity scene in memory of Wayne, a crèche symbolizing the hope, love, peace and joy of the season, now on display in the atrium window of the ROC.

By the way, this week, in addition to our tithe, Amanda and I are writing our check for our annual Christmas Offering for Global Missions. We invite you to join us as we prayerfully and financially support those who serve as missionaries around the world.

Advent is an opportune time for spiritual reflection and spiritual commitment. After each worship service, counselors and ministers are available to speak with persons who are making commitments regarding faith in Christ and membership in the church. And as we prepare to embrace the opportunities of a new year, we encourage every member of our church family to take a spiritual gifts inventory, either online or on paper, and to connect with a ministry team that most closely matches your spiritual gifts and your personal passion.
I look forward to seeing you this Sunday as we gather for worship and Bible study.

The holidays typically usher in a shopping frenzy and frantic pre-occupation with gift giving, but this year both will likely be tempered by the current wave of market anxiety. As Advent begins in this new social and economic context, and as I reflect on the approaching celebration of Christmas, I am focused on the juxtaposition of two seemingly unrelated Bible texts. The first summarizes the journey of the Magi who traveled from the East in search of the mysterious child of promise: When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh (Matthew 2:10-11 NIV).

The second text, which I readily confess does not typically invoke Yuletide emotion, is Romans 12:2 which boldly challenges believers to live out our faith with subversive authenticity: Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will (NIV).

Treasures construed to be the contemporary equivalent of gold, incense, and myrrh are not the only gifts you can present in honor of Jesus. As you embark upon your Advent journey, perhaps you might also consider offering something that cost you a little more of your self, a contribution from your own lode of talent or giftedness.

Do you recall the legend behind the musical story of “The Little Drummer Boy,” the song about a boy who gave of his meager talent by playing the drum for the Christ child? Introduced in the U.S. in the 1950’s, this memorable holiday carol made popular by Bing Crosby, was actually based on a Czech tune, “Carol of the Drum,” composed by Katherine K. Davis in 1941 and later recorded by the famed Von Trapp Family Singers in Austria. The more familiar “drummer boy” version details the fictional but meaningful tale of a young boy who approached the manger with nothing to offer but his drum. However, as the boy began to play his drum, his unique gift brought a smile to the face of the infant.

Throughout this holiday season a variety of colorful and thematic decorations will adorn many of our church campuses, iconic symbols such as a Christmas tree, an Advent wreath, or a manger crèche. Peculiar in the décor of the church I serve is a drum tree which is constructed annually in our church atrium. Vick Vickery, our veteran Scoutmaster, assembles this drum tree each year out of 34 percussion instruments from different eras in history. Included in this menagerie are replicas of the rope drum used in the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. Historically, these instruments were crucial for conveying instructions and maintaining morale, for in the days prior to advanced telecommunication, soldiers were trained to listen carefully for strategic commands encoded in the resounding beat of the drummer.

Now, stacked and configured in the form of a Christmas tree, our drum tree serves as a holiday reminder that God calls us to march to the beat of a different drummer, receiving our formative cues and motivation from the teachings and lifestyle of Jesus. While the default values of our culture may prompt us to spend irresponsibly, to consume disproportionately, and to hurry frantically, our faith calls us to march to the rhythm and cadence of a different percussionist, to be cheerful in giving, gracious in receiving, and intentional in living.

During this festive season of the year, believers of all ages are invited to invest our best spiritual gifts and our prime tangible gifts in ways that express our allegiance and alignment with the One born in Bethlehem.

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

Although the daily practice of giving thanks is a year round discipline, one day of the year is set aside for us to inventory our blessings and to express our gratitude to God with focused intentionality.

As you plan your Thanksgiving schedule, I pray that you and your family will enjoy a fun and memorable gathering with renewing your appreciation for all of God’s blessings.

If you are staying in town this week, consider participating in our Community Thanksgiving Service at Christ Church on Wednesday evening at six o’clock.

From the inspired words of Holy Scripture to the treasured verses of classical and contemporary authors, much has been written about the experience of gratitude. The following verses are among those I continue to treasure:

Let us come before him with thanksgiving.
– Psalm 95:2

Count your many blessings, name them one by one; and it will surprise you what the Lord has done. -Johnson Oatman Jr.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; be thankful to him and bless his name. – Psalm 100:4

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
– II Corinthians 9:15

We thank Thee that Thou hast placed us in the world to subdue all things to Thy glory, and to use all things for the good of Thy children. -Edward Everett Hale

Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: it must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all. – William Faulkner

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming fire’. – Hebrews 12:28

At Thanksgiving, may our feasts and our festivities remind us of our blessings and encourage us to live our days growing in grace and gratitude.

I look forward to seeing you Sunday as we gather for worship and Bible study, and as we begin our Advent series, Marching to a Different Drummer.