After a long day of flying which began on Thursday in Pensacola, all three flights of our Music Tour Team arrived in Prague on Friday afternoon. A couple of our groups experienced minor flight delays but everyone had a safe trip and all luggage and instruments arrived by midnight Friday.

Unfortunately, Joyce Butler had to cancel just a few hours before our departure. Joyce encountered some mild health complications on Wednesday and her doctor advised against travel.

Also, the wireless internet access at our hotel is temporarily out of order. Those of us who can access a dial-up service are sending brief messages to family and friends. Many of us hope to send photos from our next hotel.

Most of the couples are staying at the Hotel Prague on the historic city square. Singles are staying at the Grand Bohemia Hotel which is only a couple of blocks from the historic city square. The area around the square could be compared to the French Quarter of New Orleans.

After an early breakfast we departed for a guided City Tour. Prague is a city of 1.3 million residents, a majority of whom are extremely friendly and welcoming. All of us are amazed at the detailed architectural designs and the lively artistic culture of Prague. After years of military occupation, Prague is re-emerging as a cultural community that thrives on art, music, drama, and philosophy.

The focal point of our morning tour was Prague Castle and the St. Vitus Cathedral. Our tour guides were mostly history majors who were informative and engaging as they narrated our tour in articulate English.

As we were departing the courtyard at Prague Castle, Avery Morrison tripped and fell downhill, banging face first against a concrete wall, then falling hard to the ground. Paramedics were summoned to take her to a local hospital. She had a small laceration to the forehead and a broken arm. X-rays revealed a clean but complete fracture between her left elbow and shoulder. After consulting with an orthopedic surgeon here, the Morrisons opted to proceed with surgery. Avery was out of surgery and in recovery by 7 this evening. Dr. Andy White and I have just returned from visiting Avery. She is in good spirits and feels she has received excellent treatment and hospitality from the local hospital. Doctors want her to stay 3-4 days but she is hoping to be discharged by Monday evening.

This afternoon we presented our first concert. We sang at the Historic St. Nicholas Church, one of the oldest Protestant churches in Prague. Because of the church’s strategic location on the historic city square, St. Nicholas Church host daily concerts. The church was closed during the German and Soviet occupation, at one time even used as a horse stable. But in recent years, the church has grown to 400 members and has been re-established as a center for Christian Social Ministry. After our concert, the pastor at St. Nicholas continued to express gratitude for our visit describing our concert as “the best concert ever hosted by St. Nicholas.” Although we did not charge admission, our concert was advertised as having “voluntary entrance fee.” A few thousand “crowns” were received which will help fund the ministry of the church.

Tomorrow is one of our busiest days. We will worship and sing at First Baptist Church in Prague tomorrow morning and then return to FBC for a full concert tomorrow evening. I am looking forward to sharing the sermon during the service tomorrow. The pastor’s daughter will translate for me.

Our touring group is like one big family. Deeper friendships are emerging and everyone on the trip seems to sense the awesome opportunity we have to share the good news in song even as we learn more about the Czech Republic.

As our International Music Mission Team prepares to leave for Prague, Salzburg, and Vienna, I found in my files a summary note from Dr. Viktor Frankl’s writings:

In his book, Man’s Search For Meaning, Austrian psychiatrist Dr. Viktor Frankl documents the profound power that a life purpose exerts over an individual under even the worst of circumstances. Frankl, who survived the Nazi concentration camps, described how prisoners who felt they had nothing to live for succumbed, while those who perceived themselves as having a mission to complete, struggled to survive. Deprived of all external supports that might give life meaning, these survivors came to realize that, in Frankl’s words, “It did not really matter what we expected of life, but rather what life expected from us.” Their sense of an inner purpose pulled them through the most horrible physical and emotional experiences so that
they might make their unique contribution to the world.

Everyone has a purpose in life beyond one’s immediate interests and gratifications, though that purpose frequently goes undiscovered. Many people devote their entire lives to the pursuit of greater ease and pleasure. Those who had not found the “why” that gives meaning to existence may achieve material success, yet the real goodness of life will elude them. The true meaning of life lies in sharing our particular qualities of greatness with others.

On July 13, ninety-eight musicians and missioners from First Baptist church will depart for an international music missions tour. The 2006 “Go Ye Tour” promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime educational and spiritual adventure. We will visit Prague, Salzburg, and Vienna, areas rich in history, culture, and religion. Our diverse repertoire includes classical pieces by Mozart, a hymn arrangement, a rhythmic spiritual, a popular composition by Michael W. Smith, and an acapella benediction. On Sunday July 16, it will be my privilege to share a sermon at the First Baptist Church of Prague.

Throughout the tour, I hope to keep you updated with stories, highlights, and anecdotes as the hills come alive with sounds of timeless music and a life-changing message.

From childhood to adulthood, we have pledged to work toward “ liberty and justice for all.” We live in a nation that envisions liberty and justice for all people. For some, “liberty” has become a license for self-centeredness and “justice” has been reduced to sheer vindictiveness or revenge. The historical American concept of liberty, however, is not that one is free to do as one pleases without accountability for the consequences of one’s actions. Rather, our heritage of liberty means that we are not owned or enslaved by another person or power. We enjoy individual and corporate freedom within the boundaries of ethical and moral responsibility. True liberty calls on us to express ourselves with civility while respecting the rights of others who may think differently to do the same.

Justice is much more than being affirmed for right behavior or punished for bad behavior. Justice strives to create viable opportunities for all persons to succeed economically, vocationally, and socially. Real justice seeks to create opportunities for the disadvantaged, such as the poor, widows, orphans, the sick, strangers, the hungry, the homeless, and those in prison.

We have pledged ourselves to work for “liberty and justice for all” persons, regardless of gender, race, economic status, political ideology, and religious background. To believe in liberty and justice for a select few is to abide by a shallow theology and uninformed patriotism.

Liberty and justice are not just philosophical ideals. They are practical spiritual values. John 8:32 proclaims, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free,” and II Corinthians 3:17 contends that, “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” Isaiah 30:18 announces, “For the Lord is a God of justice,” and Amos 5:24 exclaims, “Let justice roll on like a river.”
All this week, picnics, recreational games, and fireworks will all mark the birthday of our nation’s independence. As you celebrate, recommit your talent, your energy, and your influence to these concepts we call “liberty” and “justice.”

On Friday morning, Amanda and I left Pensacola to travel to Western Kentucky. En route, we delivered a birthday gift to our two year old great nephew, Elisha, in Alexandria. Afterward, we accompanied my grandmother, affectionately known as Big Mama, to make her first visit to see her 10 day old great, great granddaughter, Lydia Grace Ferguson. Then, we dropped Amanda at her mother’s home in Jacksonville, while I transported Big Mama to her home in Anniston.

When I returned to the home of Amanda’s parents in Jacksonville, I found her mom to be lightly sick and fatigued, but not overwhelmed with debilitating sickness. We had a pleasant visit with Amanda’s parents, and then hit the road for Kentucky early on Saturday morning.

Amanda and I have enjoyed visiting First Baptist Church of Madisonville, Kentucky where I have been leading Winter Bible Study. During my years of service in Eastern Kentucky, I came to appreciate FBC Madisonville as one of the leading missions and ministry congregations in Western Kentucky. Although we missed being in worship with our First Baptist Pensacola Family, we are thoroughly enjoying our experiences in worship and Bible study with our friends in Madisonville.

We are also excited about good things happening at First Baptist Pensacola, especially the arrival of our two new associate ministers. On February 22, our church family unanimously called Don Minton as Associate Minister to provide leadership to Median/Senior Adults and Missions. Don and Debbie will be joining us on Sunday March 19. Ross and Jeana Lankford will be joining us on April 2. On the evening of April 2, we will welcome the Mintons and Lankfords with a reception in Chipley Hall. Continue to pray for both families as they make final preparations for their move to Pensacola. Ross and Don are going to be key additions to our team of staff ministers.

After completing this Winter Bible Study series in Kentucky, on Sunday I will begin a new series of messages from II Isaiah entitled “When God Calls Your Name.” I hope that members of our church family will read Isaiah 40-44 as we prepare to consider the hope-filled prophetic passages. In the first message we will examine Isaiah 40:18-31 as we affirm that there is absolutely no comparison between God and other loyalties.

When we leave the warm hospitality of our Kentucky friends, we are looking forward to returning home to Pensacola where the breeze blows warmer and the Spirit keeps sending new friends and undeserved blessings our way.