Classic City Rev

Author's note:  This weeks blog is an excerpt from my Thanksgiving message which I delievered at Tuckston United Methodist Church last Sunday. Sadly in our culture the observance of Thanksgiving has become for many the opening of the Christmas Season, rather than the important day it is on it’s on.   Many persons, particularly children make a list at Christmas times of things they wish to receive as gifts.   Today I would like offer that all of us, regardless of our age should make a Thanksgiving List naming the things for which we give thanks not only at this time of year but anytime we stop and reflect on the life with which we have been blessed.   I am honored to share mine.             I am thankful for a God who loves me and who through his Son, Jesus Christ, has given me grace and salvation.             I am thankful that on an August day in 2013 I decided to attend a workshop on poverty to learn a little more about the community in which I lived.   I remem

Yesterday was one of those days.  It started at prayer breakfast.  I joined a group of gentlemen from Tuckston at their weekly prayer breakfast at our neighborhood Chick-Fil-A.  It is one of the highlights of my week. My right arm was itching a little just above my wrist and so I reached under the cuff of my shirt to give it a little scratch.  Soon I noticed blood on my shirt.  Apparently I'd scratched a bit too hard.  So I returned home changed into a different shirt and tie and went into the church office. I had an appointment after lunch and after the appointment I decided on a cup of coffee to give me a pick-me-up before I visited a couple of parishioners in a nearby care facility.  One should never try to drink a cup of coffee and do computer work at the same time.  While typing on my computer I managed to bump the coffee cup and send coffee all over my shirt, over one leg of my pants and all over my tie.  Now I'm wet, my clothes are stained and I smell like c

One of my all time favorite movies is "Gran Torino" in which Clint Eastwood plays Walt Kowalski a crochety Korean War veteran and retired auto worker who spends his days sitting on the front porch of his home drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer.  As a pastor I can't recommend the movie because Walt's vocabulary is the vocabulary of  a crochety Korean War veteran and retired auto worker who spends his days sitting on the front porch of his home drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer. The movie tells the story of how Walt befriends an Asian family that lives next door to him while bemoaning the transitional nature of his Detroit area neighborhood.  The widowed Walt takes extreme pride in his home and his lawn. One of the classic scenes in the movie takes place when some neighborhood thugs trespass on Walt's lawn.  Walt appears on the front porch with a shotgun in classic crochety old man fashion points the gun at the thugs and declares "Get off my lawn."

It was a great day Saturday down by the St. John's River.  The Georgia Bulldogs prevailed over the Florida Gators in a game that really wasn't as close as the score would indicate but still close enough that I probably would not have wanted my blood pressure taken during the contest. Since arriving in Athens I have enjoyed being a part of the Touchdown Club of Athens and made my way over to the Athens Country Club Monday night for a meeting.  The room was filled with Bulldog fans who were relishing in the win over the Gators last Saturday.  The featured speaker was Coach Vince Dooley, who pretty much owned the Gators during his twenty-five years of guiding the Bulldog ship. I don't know how many times over the years I've heard Coach Dooley speak at various functions but he stated that Monday evening would be his last speech to the Touchdown Club.  At age 87 I'm sure he is ready to wind down just a bit.   Quite frankly Coach Dooley didn't spend a who