“Forgive me, Father, for sounding forth on other people’s praying. Acting like I knew something about approaching you they don’t. I do that a lot, and I’m quite sure it’s out of line. Forgive me, Father.

“You have taught me how wrong I’ve been before. Like the times I used to criticize those who pray long prayers that begin by telling you what you already know about yourself. And then I read the Scriptures and saw that is precisely what many of the psalms do and it’s what makes them so special three thousand years after they were first offered up.

“Like Job of old, you showed me I did not have a clue what I was talking about.

“And there are the times I used to quote one of your servants of an earlier generation who said, ‘Prayer is not a touring sedan in which to see all the sights of the city, but a pickup truck. You drive it to the warehouse, pick up the goods and come home.’ You showed me there was enough truth in that to get it quoted a lot and smiled at and even copied down, but not enough truth for it to actually be right. Lots of Bible prayers tour the city and enjoy the sights before heading for the warehouse and home.

“In fact, some of them never seem to know where the warehouse is. And yet your Word records those prayers as authentic and worth our studying.

“Over the years some of the prayers that have inspired me most from your precious older saints began with a comprehensive tour of the city. When I wasn’t feeling too rushed to appreciate what they were doing, I recall being inspired by the sights they pointed out, informed by the things about You I never knew, and rebuked by their insights into your people and methods and values which I had missed along the way.

“You’d think by now I would know to be wary of criticizing other people’s prayers. The way I did yesterday morning.

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I wonder sometimes about our Wednesday pastors meeting, if they have outlived their usefulness, and then the Lord says otherwise in no uncertain terms.

We might have begun our weekly meeting with 10 people today, but they kept coming in and we ended up with around 25. In the course of the sharing, two pastors volunteered how much these weekly sessions mean to them. One said, “I always know you are going to be here. You have no idea how much that means.”

He has no idea how much his words encouraged us. We have 92 churches and missions operating now, and most of our pastors are either knee-deep shepherding their flocks and don’t have time to come to these gatherings or they have second jobs and can’t get off. Either that, or they’re in seminary. But when I’m tempted to think of 25 as a small turnout, I recall that in the pre-Katrina years, that would be a good turnout for our monthly pastors conferences.

A few highlights here. If you want the entire rundown of our Wednesday meeting, this week or any week, go to our associational website www.bagnola.org. Lynn Gehrmann takes notes of the proceedings and posts them there by mid-afternoon.

“We’re prayer-walking this Saturday,” said David Rhymes. A number of folks from outside this area will arrive at the Baptist Center here at 8:30 am Saturday. Within an hour, they will disperse into a number of neighborhoods where pastors have requested prayer-walkers, and return to the center in time for lunch and a report time. We’ll be doing six sessions in 2007. You’re invited.

One of our pastors whose church disappeared from the earth has been meeting with his re-gathered people in his section of St. Bernard Parish. Today he reported that the local Presbyterian church–which had fallen onto hard times before Katrina and whose congregation since the hurricane might be a half-dozen hearty souls–is close to turning over the property to his congregation to move in and use for an indefinite period of time.

“What’s wonderful about that,” he told the group, “is that at first we tried to purchase the property, and they wouldn’t sell it. Then we tried to lease it, and they turned that down. Now, they’re using the money they got from Bush-Clinton to restore the facility and then they’re going to give it to us.” It’s a God-thing.

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Dr. Ronald French, an ear-nose-and-throat physician, has been named “Rex, King of Carnival,” for today. Mardi Gras. Fat Tuesday, before Ash Wednesday kicks off the season of Lent. His queen is Brooke Hastings Parker, a lovely young co-ed from the University of Georgia studying international business. She’s a local girl, of course, with a long tradition of participation in these events.

Don’t ask me why, other than maybe that men plan these things, Dr. French is 69 years old and Brooke is perhaps 21. And it’s always that way–old guy, sweet young thing.

Dr. French has a fascinating thing about books. A friend said French will be reading a book and start talking about it. “You ought to read this,” he’ll say. I’ll answer, “Well, I will, as soon as I get a copy.” At that point, the doctor will tear his book in half and say, “Get started on this.” The friend continued, “Many times I’ll see him walking around reading half a book, and I’ll know what happened.”

Parades are going down St. Charles Avenue and several other thoroughfares of metro New Orleans today. Having just driven in from Alabama Monday, my plans were to catch up on my rest Tuesday. I did, mostly. But I still caught some beads. The parade came to me.

Late Tuesday morning, our son Neil and his family decided to walk the 1.8 mile track around LaSalle Park, which lies alongside Airline Highway in Metairie and encases the Saints’ training camp and headquarters as well as the Zephyrs baseball field, and I was invited to join them. That’s how we got caught by the beginning of a parade.

The walking track crosses the exit from the Zephyrs parking lot where perhaps fifty floats of all descriptions had been parked. By the time we arrived, all the riders–hundreds of them–had loaded up and the trucks were pulling the floats onto Airline and heading toward town. Police motorcycles were everywhere. So, we stood and watched and waved at the riders.

The occasional rider, spotting my grandchildren waving, pitched a string of beads our way. These kids have been to several Mardi Gras parades and knew this was not a real one, so were not impressed sufficiently to even bend over and pick up the cheap beads. So I did. I joked that this is the first Mardi Gras parade I’ve attended since the 1965 version in the suburb of Arabi.

The floats seemed endless, slowly making their way from the parking lot to the highway. No traffic moved on Airline, doubtless making for a lot of frustrated motorists.

King Rex’s wife Flora, herself with a long history of involvement in these events, said, “It’s fun and festive. But my mother used to say, ‘In a way, it’s just a little bit of foolishness.'”

Good. Long as everyone knows that and keeps it in proper perspective. The people who study these things say 750,000 visitors come to our city for these parades and parties. To no one’s surprise, the local economy depends on these guests.

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The planes coming into and leaving New Orleans are all filled. Party-goers from “your” city are arriving for the five-day parade season, today–Friday–through Tuesday, Mardi Gras Day. And many locals are taking the long weekend as a great time to go skiing or visit relatives–or just leave town, period.

I say “your” city, because the untold thousands of partiers jamming the streets along parade routes and filling the bars on Bourbon Street tend not to be locals but out-of-town visitors. The reason I point this out is as a gentle reminder for residents of New Hampshire (and “your” state) who slam New Orleans as sin-capital because of Mardi Gras. If the folks in your town would stay home, we’d have to shut ‘er down.

Why New Hampshire?

Several years ago when I was pastoring FBC of Kenner, across the street from the New Orleans Airport, I ran up to the church on Mardi Gras day to get some work done in the quiet. The phone rang. Some salesman of church supplies from New Hampshire was asking for Jim Lancaster, our associate pastor. I told him Jim wasn’t in, that it was a holiday here and the offices were closed. Long silence. What holiday, he wanted to know. “Mardi Gras,” I said.

The poor man almost had a stroke. “You’re telling me that a church of the Lord Jesus Christ closes down its operations and observes that ungodly holiday?” I said, “Sir, the entire area is shut down. Streets are clogged. It’s hard to go anywhere. So we give our people the day off. Most spend it with the family, some go out of town, and some are down in the French Quarter witnessing on the streets.”

That still did not satisfy him. Finally, I said, “Sir, the people down here doing the worst partying are from your town in New Hampshire. If they would stay home, we could cancel the holiday.”

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Today, Wednesday, Valentine’s Day, was my day to speak in chapel at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. I love everything about this school and relish the times I’m invited to speak in chapel or to a class, but my only regret today was that every student did not hear the message.

Here’s a brief summary of the message entitled “You and New Orleans.”

I’m abbreviating points 1, 2, and 3, and 4 in order to emphasize the heart of the message: point 3, “Join a church.”

1. Thank you for coming to New Orleans. By your very presence, you are helping to rebuild this city.

2. Get to know New Orleans. There is so much to love about this city, from the historic districts to the great restaurants and shops to the parks and museums. Venture off campus and discover some of the delights of this incredible city.

3. Join a church. Join a church. Join a church.

This seminary was planted in New Orleans in 1917 to bring the Gospel of Christ to its people. Today, we have 92 Southern Baptist churches and missions in the metro area, and many could really use the help and encouragement your presence would bring.

In the last few days, I’ve talked to a number of seminary students who told me you don’t plan to join a local church during your stay here. When I asked ‘why not,’ you gave me four reasons.

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Back on January 27, my blog introduced our readers to this precious lady–Iva Jewel Tucker of Birmingham. You may drop back and read it for yourself when you have a few moments and I predict you’ll find yourself treasuring her too, the way the rest of us do.

This week, she sent me an update on her situation as she endures the radiation treatments.

“I am having a few side effects of the radiation, even as I swore–yes, swore–the treatments wouldn’t bother me! It is a new adventure, true, but I kick against losing some of my stamina and giving in to tiredness sometimes. The feeling of nausea comes and goes and I hate it.”

“Sometimes nausea streams through me. I do not act on the nausea, just feel sick. At least I’m not pregnant and I’m thankful for small blessings. I have an occasional cough. Not a bad cough, but I know the radiation is affecting some tissue here and there.”

“Food does not taste as good as it used to. I have always loved good food, savoring the joy. Now I don’t really care if I eat or not. Peanut butter on a cracker tastes about as good as baked Alaska salmon.”

“The multimillion-dollar radiation machine swings over me, backs up, comes another direction. I told the girls it was like a car wash. They said tomorrow I may get a wax and buff.”

“The late writer/columnist Molly Ivins had it right. When she went to the hospital with breast cancer, she described it: ‘First they mutilate you. Then they poison you. Then they burn you. I have been on blind dates better than that.’ I skipped the poisoning, but I agree with her description of surgery and radiation.”

“All the staff is great at the Bruno Cancer Center at St. Vincent’s Hospital. These professionals do good work as well as caring about the patients. Why, today I even had a fashion evaluation while I lay on the table waiting for the long arm of the radiation machine to swing over me. Usually I wear skirt, blouse, and stockings like a good Baptist should, but today I wore slacks. Wearing my cute little hospital gown, I slipped out of my shoes and lay down on the table as gracefully as possible. The radiation therapist announced from the other room that I had on a black sock and a navy sock. I told her that was obviously a side effect of the radiation since the real Iva Jewel would never have done such a thing.”

“The oncologist–with whom I am madly in love even though he’s only 60-ish–said with radiation treatments on the LEFT breast, the rays go through a certain way to cause nausea, while treatment of right breast does not. No problem. I can live with times of nausea without having to look forward to another child to raise! Hallelujah, sing praises all day!”

“Some years ago I worked in conversational English with a doctor from Shanxi Province in China. I think he taught at UAB. We have remained friends. You will enjoy a couple of his comments when he heard about my cancer. Dr. Li encouraged me:

“You have a pleasure mood. It is important to fight disease. You help some much people like me, you are so nice, God will help you to fight cancer.”

“I am worried some side effects of radiation to hurt you. More pleasure mood is benefit to fight side effects. I pray God bless health to you, bless happy life to you.”

(Iva Jewel continues:) “I count my blessings night and day. Some of my new friends at the Cancer Center are in serious condition. Many of them drive long distances for their daily treatments, and some of them are undergoing chemo as well as radiation. God bless them.”

(She concludes:) “Joe, I do pray that you will have more ‘pleasure mood’ during these days. You are blessed, too, for you love your work. Also you are a cancer survivor, praise God.”

“It is exciting to receive mail from many who received the news of my cancer via Joe McKeever. Thanks for everything. Love you.”

She signed the note: “With tired love, Iva Jewel.” Then added a P.S. at the bottom: “If I reread this rambling message, I’ll probably delete it. So here it goes to you.”

As you may have deduced, I forwarded to her all the comments from readers about this remarkable lady. And we’ll do so again for you who leave comments below.

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“The freight train woke me up at 3 o’clock,” Pastor Jay Adkins said. “I ran outside and saw the back end of that tornado plowing through Westwego. The path it left was narrow, but the destruction was total.”

Jay awakened his minister of youth Brian Sholle and they began searching through the dark neighborhood–the power was out although fires were springing up in the tornado’s wake–for anyone they could help.

“We ran into the police chief,” Jay said, “and he remembered me from Katrina when we were so involved in disaster relief work. He said, ‘I need your help, reverend.’ He had about 50 people, many of them women with babies, he had to take care of. He said, ‘I need diapers and formula.'”

Jay and Brian caught the manager of the local Winn-Dixie just as he was opening up. He emptied the shelves of those products and loaded them down, and they rushed back to help the victims.

Apparently there were three tornadoes in our immediate area last night, this one in Westwego which crossed the river into the Carrollton section of New Orleans, causing a lot of damage there, another in the Franklin Avenue/Pontchartrain Park section of Gentilly, and a third one somewhere. The Westwego twister took the top off a motel alongside the West Bank Expressway, which gave a hundred guests the surprise of their lives when rain started pouring in on their beds. Police shut down that section of the expressway all day, and closed much of the town of Westwego.

Only one person was killed. Stella Chambers was in her 80s and had survived Katrina. She was living in a FEMA trailer and excited that her flooded home had been restored and she was close to moving back in. The tornado picked up both her trailer and the two story house and spun them through the air. She died soon after the trailer dropped to the ground with her inside.

Jay Adkins had to get to his seminary classes this morning and was there when I caught him by cell phone. Later he called to say he was back in Westwego and doing what he could to help people. “The governor landed in her big helicopter,” he said. “It was sickening to see all the dignitaries rushing to squeeze into a photo with her when the Red Cross was over there knocking themselves out.”

When I arrived at our associational offices this (Tuesday) morning, Ninfa and Lynn announced that our power was out. To their great chagrin, they had to take the rest of the day off and go home. I know it broke their hearts.

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Number one: Every time our people go to Washington on behalf of New Orleans, someone in Congress says, “We’ve given you $110 billion dollars. That ought to be enough!” Here’s why it isn’t.

That amount was for five states to cover the damage from 3 storms. Louisiana had the worst damage, so we got the lion’s share: $59 billion. That’s a lot of money. However….

According to the Louisiana Recovery Authority, the governor’s agency charged with handling the money congress sends this way, only $26.4 billion of that represented “genuine federal help.” Of that amount, $18 billion was for actual disaster relief–which includes money to rebuild levees, homes, schools, and community infrastructure–and $14.7 billion was for payouts from federal flood insurance, which is a contract the federal program has with policyholders who pay their premiums.

Representative Richard Baker of Baton Rouge says, “A lot has been said about the $110 billion. We just haven’t seen it.”

In response, Washington argues that it sent $12 billion to the governor’s Road Home program for assistance with rebuilding homes in our state, but as of Thursday only 590 people had received anything from it, for a total of $38.3 million.

Alabama Representative Spencer Bachus quotes our governor as saying last year that the president had done everything he promised and that the money was enough. “You’re quoting her out of context,” says LRA exec Walter Leger. He points out that of the $110 billion sent this way, barely more than half of it came to Louisiana–the other four states getting the other $51 billion–and yet Louisiana had four times the damage as the others states. “That’s what people ought to be looking at,” said Leger.

There’s a strong feeling among this state’s leadership that Mississippi fared better because of its political clout in Washington, having a Republican governor while our governor is a Democrat. In December of 2005, Mississippi received $5.2 billion for emergency housing recovery while Louisiana, with many times the damage, received $6.2 billion.

Number two: There’s a big front page article in Sunday’s paper about this city’s mayor. The headline reads: “Many New Orleanians say they are still waiting for Mayor C. Ray Nagin to do the job they elected him to do.” A local t-shirt reads: “C. Ray?” And underneath: “Not lately.”

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Why are good, normal, otherwise confident Christian people scared to death of knocking on a door?

I think I know, and it’s not just that we don’t know what to do or don’t love the Lord enough or lack holiness. Sorry, Henry Blackaby, my dear brother. I think it’s something else.

Recently in this blog and last week at our pastors meeting, we talked about fear in witnessing. I said that the fear is related to not knowing what to do, that I do many things frequently without a smidgen of fear because I’ve learned what to do, whether it’s driving in interstate traffic or sketching someone in front of a class or speaking before large crowds. And I might have left a wrong impression, that I no longer have to deal with the fear of approaching strangers with the gospel. Actually, I am a veteran of this kind of paralyzing fright.

Fear and I have walked down many a street together over my four decades of ministry, fighting and struggling all the way. Sometimes I won out, sometimes fear carried the day.

Here’s the rundown, as briefly as I can make it.

In college, I worked weekends near the railroad terminal in downtown Birmingham. I wanted so badly to share my faith and help people come to the Lord that at noontimes I would quickly scarf down my sandwich and get outside to walk the streets. In this seedy section of town one could expect to encounter drunks and vagrants on every block. Surely they would be the easiest people in the world to approach and begin a conversation with, right? You would think.

I did not have a clue how to begin or what to say. The lasting memory I carry from those painful lunch hours is the complete, total fear that engulfed me as I would walk up to a wino and stutter, “Uh, mister….are you saved?” That is as far as it ever got, because inevitably the bleary-eyed citizen would stare at this kid through his fog and say, “Yeah, buddy,” and stagger on his way.

It would have been comical had it not been so sad.

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I wish you could know Rudy and Rose French. They moved here from Canada just after Katrina, convinced the Lord wanted them to minister to our people and assist in the rebuilding of this city. At first, they served at Williams Boulevard Baptist Church, feeding highway patrolmen from all over the country, then with Delacroix Hope Baptist Church taking baskets of goodies door to door in FEMA trailer parks and ministering in any way that presented itself, and now they’re leading the First Baptist Church of Norco.

I’ll not repeat the account of their call to that church and Rudy’s insistence that they become a mission center and stop doing the same things they’d been doing for years, things no longer working. When they moved into the parsonage, change became the order of the day.

This morning–Thursday–Rudy gave me the grand tour of the church. Volunteer workers from French Camp, Mississippi were all over, gutting out the building in places and rebuilding in others. Tearing out the ancient, worn woodwork and the threadbare carpet, installing a new kitchen, filling two former classrooms with bunk beds, enough to sleep ten people in each. Painting, scrubbing, nailing.

“There used to be a wall here,” Rudy said. “But we needed to open up this space, so I told them to tear it out.” With a twinkle in his eye he said, “One of our seniors came in and said ‘What happened to our wall?’ I told her, ‘It wasn’t our wall. It was God’s. And I was talking to Him and He said He wanted that wall down. So we tore it down.'” He added, “I smiled real big and she did too.”

“You should have seen the library,” he said. “Old stuff that should have been thrown out ages ago. Why would anyone keep telephone directories for ten years? We cleaned it out.”

“In this room, there was junk. Clutter. We cleaned it out and threw it away. See that dumpster out back? We filled it up three times with stuff we threw away.” He said, “I do not understand why church members haven’t cleaned all this out ages ago.”

I said, “I do. Church members are afraid of offending someone. Throw it away and it will turn out that someone’s mama paid for that and now they’re all upset. So, it’s just easier to stick it in a closet and let the next generation deal with it.”

“They needed leadership, Rudy,” I said, “and you’re providing it.” He said, “I’m doing what we do in the business world. You see a problem and you tackle it.”

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