My new friend Barry of West Virginia checked in the other night. He’s planning to be a pastor, he said, and while surfing the net in search of ideas, inspiration, and such, he found our website. He said, “I read it from 8 o’clock that morning until 5 o’clock that afternoon.”

I told him he holds the world record.

Wednesday of last week, our pastors’ group numbered only about 15, so we pulled two tables together and got our coffee and doughnuts and visited. Eventually, I said, “Let’s start with Eddie here, and go around the table. Introduce yourself–some of you don’t know the others–and tell something the Lord has done for you recently. Not 38 years ago, if you don’t mind.”

I had no idea this would be the agenda for the next 90 minutes.

Ann: “We lost 12,000 dollars—and then found it lying in the road in the basket where it had fallen off the car. It was untouched. The Lord protected us.”

Lawrence: “I had a series of strokes. God brought me through them.”

Marc: “I went through a time of serious depression. It was affecting my home and my church, everything. Even my wife said my sermons were boring. Finally, at a spiritual retreat, I recovered my closeness with the Lord and my energy for Him.”

Manuel told how one day on the job his body had taken 37,000 volts of electricity. “That’s why I have an artificial hand and foot,” he said. “I’m blessed to be alive and serving God.”

Jeff: “While we were evacuated from Katrina, I decided to try to find my son. Some 18 years ago, I walked out on his unwed mother and after I came to the Lord, I’ve felt so bad about that. I had tried over the years to locate him. I walked into a police station in the town where we used to live and identified myself, and told them what I was attempting to do. They arrested me on the spot.”

He went on to explain how his name was found on the list of deadbeat fathers, and he was kept in jail for two nights while he stayed on the phone, trying to raise $18,000. Eventually, he was reunited with his son. He explained what had happened and asked his forgiveness. “My son is down here right now,” he said, “living with us. He is such a fine young man.” There wasn’t a dry eye in the room.

Jeff pointed out how that as a pastor, he wants to be able to address this issue–dads who need to find the children they have fathered and do the right thing–and so had to go through this himself so he would have the integrity to call them to own up to their responsibilities.

Other pastors around the table had their stories of what the Lord was doing or had done in their lives. Then, it was Bobby’s turn.

“Well,” he said, “I’ve never lost $12,000. I’ve always been in good health and was never depressed. I’ve never had strokes or been struck by lightning. I’ve never fathered a child out of wedlock…”

A preacher on the other side of the table said, “And you call yourself a pastor!”

We laughed the rest of the morning at that.

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The title is actually a corruption of Ecclesiastes 12:12 wherein “the preacher,” whoever that was–the implication is that he is Solomon, but I wonder–said, “Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.”

We beg to differ. But of course, we have access to a much greater variety of books than even Solomon did.

One of my friends begins our too-infrequent visits with, “What books are you reading?” and another with, “What book is by your bedside at this moment?”

My wife laughs at that last question, because for me, it’s not “book,” but “books.” Usually a pile of them. Some I read, some I started on and stopped, and often I’m somewhere in the midst of three or four which I fully intend to finish.

The ones by my bed at the moment are mostly World War II era books. I don’t get very far at night before sleep beckons. I’m halfway through “You Must Remember This: The Filming of Casablanca.” I checked it out of the Jefferson Parish Library, one of my favorite places. “Casablanca” is one of my favorite movies.

The last book I finished was–ready for this?–Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice.” I know, I know, it’s a “woman’s book.” Here’s how it happened that I came to read it.

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I told a friend once that if I have gone to seed on anything in Christian theology, it’s the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I’m about to qualify that. As essential an element in the Christian faith as it is, the resurrection of our Lord did not end the fears, settle the nerves, conquer the phobias, or break the chains with which the early disciples were bound. It took one thing more.

To be sure, when the Lord Jesus Christ walked out of that garden tomb on the first Easter Sunday morning, it settled a lot of issues. His identity was forever established. His claims were solidly substantiated. His promises had just received the guarantee of Heaven.

When Jesus arose victorious from the grave, His enemies were routed. His opponents were silenced (or should have been, had they been men of even a little integrity). His executioners were shamed. A bamboozled Satan and his imps were beside themselves with rage.

The resurrection of Jesus answers our questions, excites our hopes, and escalates our anticipation. It draws us back to the Scripture, back to the Church, and back to a new reality.

No wonder the disciples’ later preaching centered on the single key ingredient of belief in Jesus’ return from the grave as an essential element of saving faith. “If you confess with your mouth Jesus Christ as Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

Settle that–that Jesus actually died on that cross, that He lay in that grave from Friday afternoon until Sunday morning, then walked out whole and healthy–and so many things fall into place.

Everything, that is, except one. And we see it in the Lord’s disciples, as recorded in John 20.

“So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.'” (John 20:19)

Did you see that? They’ve locked the doors out of fear of the people who executed Jesus.

All right, that’s to be expected I suppose. At this point, the resurrection of their Lord was still just a rumor to most of them. But that should change now that He’s present with them, right? I mean, they see Him, touch Him, and know He’s alive. Everything should have changed for them at that moment. But did it?

“After eight days, His disciples were again inside…. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, ‘Peace be with you.'” (John 20:26)

Pause for a moment here. The Greek word translated “shut” is “kleio,” which means “shut, lock, bar.” It is in the perfect passive participle in both verses 19 and 26 and means “locked tight.” The disciples have shut the door and drawn a bar across it from the inside.

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The annual meeting of the NOBTS Foundation Board was held this weekend–supper Friday night at the Plimsoll Club on the 30th floor of the World Trade Center at the foot of Canal Street, and business session Saturday morning on campus at the Leavell Center. The foundation is composed of more than 70 ministers and laypersons who have gone the second mile in showing their support of the seminary. Banker Gordon Campbell of St. Petersburg, Florida, our president for the past year, presided. It was a time of fellowship and inspiration, but mostly getting updates on the seminary. Another banker, Tom Callicut, member of FBC-NO and all-around good guy, is the incoming president.

Because of the strategic importance of NOBTS to this city (i.e., to our residents, our churches, and the members of our congregations) and because so many of the readers of this blog have ties to New Orleans particularly through the seminary, I’m filing a brief version of the meeting Saturday morning.

1. The seminary campus looks radiant. It’s loveliest of all in New Orleans’ springtime. Everything has been either newly built or rebuilt, so there is nothing looking old or shoddy on this campus (other than a professor or two, but John Gibson and Charlie Ray are doing the best they can!).

2. The enrollment is healthy. Some 3,600 students are enrolled in classes, with 45 percent on campus and 55 percent at the various off-campus centers (Atlanta, Orlando, etc.). This enrollment ranks in the top five of all the years since the founding of NOBTS in 1917.

3. The five stages which our seminary has been/will be working since August 29, 2005, are: Crisis (figuring out how to survive immediately following the hurricane), Recovery (restarting normal operations), Challenge (meeting the new situations head-on and adapting to the new realities; we’re in this stage right now), Opportunities (Trying to figure out what we learned and take advantage of the lessons), and Future (planning a longterm strategy for some 8 to 10 years out).

4. The seminary’s recovery costs from Katrina will end up being some $75 million. If that sounds terrible–and it does–consider that two universities not far from our campus suffered in the hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. Insurance reimbursements came to an encouraging $33 million-plus. Southern Baptist gifts to the seminary (from various entities of the denomination, churches, and individual Baptists) passed $12 million. The State of Louisiana gave each institution of higher learning $1,951,000 to help pay faculty salaries during the crisis.

No money was received from FEMA or the Bush-Clinton Katrina fund. “We have a long-standing tradition of separation of church and state,” President Chuck Kelley reminded foundation members.

5. What are the greatest needs the seminary has at the moment? Dr. Kelley gave these answers:

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Barack Obama’s former pastor has been in the news. Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Jr., is said to have been the chief spiritual influence in the senator’s life. He performed Obama’s marriage to Michelle, and was the inspiration for his book. Now Wright has become a dead weight on the campaign and the senator has removed his name from his advisors.

All week I’d been hearing bits and pieces of this tale and was wondering what the preacher could have said that was so inflammatory. Tonight, on my way home from downtown New Orleans, a local radio station played a 3-4 minute excerpt of the sermon.

The pastor seemed to be preaching to a congregation of his own people along the theme of: “Jesus was a black man who lived in a white man’s world (i.e., the Roman Empire) and knew what it’s like to be the victim of hatred, slander, innuendo, and needless suspicion.” It was pretty much “the white man is the oppressor” and “he’s the cause of all our problems,” followed by “Jesus taught us to love our enemies.”

He got personal and crossed the line when he told how “Hillary never was the victim of prejudice because of the color of her skin,” and “Hillary never had a taxicab pass her up because of the color of her skin.” “Hillary never had anyone accuse her of being too white and no one ever called her the N-word.” That sort of thing.

Which is right, I assume.

A lot of half-truths, I’d say. Right much of the time, pointless part of the time, inflammatory half the time, and ill-advised almost all the time. I mean, what does he want Hillary to do, apologize for the color of her skin?

My main conclusion on this is: “Ignore him. He’s just preaching.”

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The chamber of commerce won’t appreciate this, but take a look at this morning’s newspaper headlines, scattered throughout the first two sections….

Front page: “Landrieu cousin kills his wife, himself.” “Algiers man guilty of shooting officer.”

Section B, page 1: “Mother claims insanity in baby’s killing.” “Man indicted on drug, gun charges.” “Suspect admits to string of break-ins, Kenner cops say.”

Page 2: “Womans says she was held hostage in Slidell.” “St. Tammany’s schools will tighten security.” “No charges filed in fatal stabbing.”

Page 3: “Man booked in motorist’s death.” “Charge upgraded to murder.” “Suspect indicted in 2 murder cases.” “3 charged following teenager’s drug death.” “Feds accuse pastor of diverting aid.”

Page 4: “Man dealt drugs at SUNO, feds say.” “Fatal shooting victim is Metairie man, 46”

Don’t let anyone tell you we’re not a city in crisis. We’re in deep trouble. Granted, some of these events occurred in suburban communities, not in New Orleans proper, but if that’s any consolation, I don’t see how.

When my wonderful mom reads these things–or similar news items from that area of Alabama (they have tragedies and crime, too)–she will sometimes remark, “Don’t you think things are worse than they have ever been before?”

I reply, “Yes, and better, too.” That doesn’t make sense at first, but it seems to be the reality of the world we’re living in.

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Where I’ll be preaching (and, of course, you’re invited)….

Easter Sunday night (March 23), 6 pm, at Emmanuel Baptist Church (on Highway 82 west), Gordo, Alabama. Our longtime friends Tommy and Diane Winders will be singing. I can’t wait.

That week—Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings (March 24-26), 10:30 to noon–I’ll be speaking at the annual senior adult revival for that area, the Pickens Baptist Association, held at Stansel Baptist Church, on state route 17, above Carrollton, Alabama. The service calls for special music and a testimony from senior adults before my sermon, followed by a pot luck lunch.

Saturday morning, March 29, at 9:30 am, I’m doing a leadership training session for a group of African-American pastors at Lower Light Baptist Church in New Orleans East. If interested, call Jeffery Friend at Suburban Baptist Church (504/242-0955) or Kenneth Davis at the host church (504/421-1802).

April 20, 9:30 am, preaching on missions at Calvary Baptist Church, 2401 General DeGaulle, New Orleans.

In between, during, and throughout, my days are comprised of a ton of meetings, boards, retreats, conferences, training sessions, and the like, but I’ll not bore you with those.

And now, the apology….

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Attending the semi-annual meeting of the board of New Orleans Baptist Missions is always an experience. It’s a four-hour-long experience, but there’s not a boring moment in the day.

Okay, stay with me here, gang. We’ll do this in question and answer form.

WHAT IS THE N.O.B.M.?

A group of people charged with the oversight of the four SBC inner city missions–the Brantley Center (for the homeless), the Baptist Friendship House (for troubled women and their children), and the two centers–Rachel Sims and Carver–which minister to neighborhood children. The chairman is David Crosby, pastor of New Orleans’ First Baptist Church, and board members are mostly local folks like Freddie Arnold and me, but we also have Dr. Wanda Lee, the executive director of the SBC Woman’s Missionary Union–she flies in from Birmingham–and Kay Cassibry, leader for the Baptist women of Mississippi. All our local missionaries are present, plus a group of our leaders from the North American Mission Board in Atlanta, people like Dr. Richard Leach, Dr. Jean White, and Dr. Mickey Caison. Fred Luter of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church serves, along with Gwen “Miss Chocolate” Williams. Dr. Guy Williams serves, as does Dr. Loretta Rivers from the seminary, and attorney John Occhipinti. Today we elected five new members of the board: Gary Mack, Skider Chatham, Mike Hammer, Denise Shannon, and Mardel Earley. (Hope I got their names right.)

WHAT’S HAPPENING REGARDING THE HOMELESS IN NEW ORLEANS?

We’re told this city has twice the number of homeless now as before Katrina.

The North American Mission Board is putting the Brantley Center up for sale. The building is old and unusable since Katrina. Volunteers have moved most of the equipment and supplies to other mission centers, and given some to Camp Living Waters, but there’s still a lot of material in the building to be moved out. “What kind of material?” I asked. “Stuff,” was the answer. Nothing of any value. It has to be out by the end of April. The power company is shutting off the D.C. power on May 15 which means the elevator will no longer function.

We have an ad hoc committee working on finding some kind of long range program to help the homeless, not simply by providing a shelter, but something deeper, more helpful, and more permanent. We are full participants with the New Orleans Mission, a downtown shelter which recently erected a tent-like facility to quickly get large numbers of homeless off the street.

WHAT’S GOING ON WITH NOAH, THE REBUILDING ARM OF NAMB?

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She: “Men! What is it about men!”

He: “The governor of New York gets caught hobnobbing with call girls and you blame it on all men?”

She: “You know what I mean. How men are.”

He: “I do not know what you mean. And just how ARE men?”

She: “If they could get by with it, every man would do what the governor did.”

He: “Wow. You are really down on men today. Do you really believe that?”

She: “Well, think of the pornography problem. Women don’t buy those magazines and videos to look at men. It’s a male thing. Men are like animals.”

He: “We are all animals, I don’t know if you have noticed. Not plants and not rocks.”

She: “Don’t try to change the subject. I mean men are naturally unfaithful and not very discriminating about who they have sex with.”

He: “You’ve heard me say that the lower nature of man is naturally polygamous.”

She: “I’ve heard you say it, but I’m not sure what you mean by it.”

He: “That the base nature–the Bible calls it the ‘old man’–is unfaithful and promiscuous. But the higher nature, the ‘new man’ he becomes in Jesus Christ–has higher standards and wars against that nature.”

She: “Meaning what?”

He: “Meaning that every man is vulnerable, that every man you will ever meet has it in him to be the worst rat and most unfaithful person on the planet.”

She: “That’s what I’ve been saying.”

He: “That is not what you’ve been saying. You’ve been saying all men are dirty rats and not worthy of their wives’ trust. And I’m saying they are capable of being that way, but their better nature knows a higher way of life. And that to one degree or the other, it’s a constant battle inside every man.”

She: “That’s why I hate to see our little boy grow up. He’s the cutest guy right now, and so full of innocence and sweetness. But he’s going to grow up to be a man, and something in me hates that.”

He: “You might as well try to hold back the sunrise, Honey. That’s the natural order of things.”

She: “I know. I just dread him becoming a teenager and the hormones raging and finding dirty magazines under his bed.”

He: “Listen a minute. Men and women are different. A man is turned on by the visual. He sees a great looking woman and his heart skips a beat. He stands near Miss America and the blood rushes to his head and he becomes a babbling idiot. We did not make ourselves this way; it’s part of our nature.”

She: “Original sin, if you ask me.”

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