Grady Cook, an artist in Central Mississippi, told me how he had improved his technique. “The picture you bought from me last time,” he said, “was all right. But I still had a lot to learn.” I assured him Margaret and I thought it was fine and that it was hanging in our living room.

“Since then, I’ve studied under a wonderful teacher,” he explained, “and have learned how to add darkness to my work.” He said, “Here. Look at this.” Pointing at the picture I would buy from him a few minutes later, he showed the shadows and the blackness of the undergrowth of the forest. It made the picture far more three-dimensional than the first one. The trees stood out. It looked like someplace I’d like to explore.

We still have both pieces of art on display in our home, but since he explained the difference, I’ve enjoyed the last one far more.

“There’s something missing in this sermon,” I said to myself. On the surface, it seemed to work just fine. The “fruit of the Spirit” passage of Galatians 5:22-23 is a familiar and well-loved one. I’d studied it numerous times over the years and had preached it on several occasions. I like what it says about the effect of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer who abides in the Lord, that in time one may observe all nine qualities of this “fruit” in his life. I have enjoyed pointing out to the members of my congregations that all nine qualities are the “fruit,” not “fruits,” and that we do not specialize on one or two, but the indwelling Spirit may be expected to shine forth in all of these ways.

And yet, studying my notes and trying to put myself in the place of my people and listen to my own delivery of the message, I felt it was rather blah. It just lay there. In short, it was boring me–and if I was bored, how much more the poor hearers would be.

Something was wrong.

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The latest bad news to hit our city is that Senator David Vitter, Republican, is on the list of clients of the Washington, D.C., brothel. In Tuesday’s Times-Picayune, Vitter–who has been a strong voice for morality, faith, and family values–said, “This was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible.” He added, “Several years ago, I asked for and received forgiveness from God and my wife in confession and marriage counseling. Out of respect for my family, I will keep my discussion of the matter there–with God and them. But I certainly offer my deep and sincere apologies to all I have disappointed and let down in any way.”

Driving into the office Tuesday morning, I caught a snippet of a call-in talk show in which this was the subject. Everyone had an opinion. One station said the calls and internet votes were running 57 percent for Vitter to resign.

A reporter for the Associated Press–who said he reads this blog, so I told him I’d be careful what I write!–called for my reaction. He’d been on the streets interviewing citizens, he said, and most people were saying it was no big deal. “Every man does that,” said one woman. Thankfully, not.

What was my reaction? I said something to the effect that in my mind, Vitter has not been the spokesman for religious values that Congressman Bobby Jindal has, and that if Jindal had confessed to such a failing, the disappointment would be even greater. Barring further revelations, I said, this will probably not be an issue when Vitter runs for re-election two years from now. “God’s people believe in grace.”

Then, Wednesday morning’s headline read: “Canal Street Madam: Vitter was New Orleans Brothel Client.” Uh uh. Not good.

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We’re told that in places, the Mississippi River runs both ways. One layer of water heads south toward the Gulf, while underneath, the bottom layer is flowing northward. Obviously, that condition holds true only for a limited number of miles before it all gets together and heads back downriver. Riverologists (is there such a word?) have an explanation for the phenomenon, no doubt.

Two streams are flowing in opposite directions in New Orleans life these days.

The outward stream was on display Sunday morning at the First Baptist Church of New Orleans. While Pastor David Crosby led a prayer for the city’s recovery in his pastoral prayer, a time when the altar was filled with members interceding for the community, various church leaders announced their plans to leave.

Brian Skinner, minister of music at FBC-NO for the last year or two, was experiencing his final Sunday before departing for the same position at FBC-Daytona Beach. Brian said to me, “My family was just never able to make the adjustment to this city.”

The pastor thanked the former president of the choir. “Today is her last Sunday with us.”

Donna Johnson–whom I pastored in Columbus, Mississippi, when she was a teen and went by Donna Fielder–informed me she has taken a job in Mobile and bought a house in the bedroom community of Daphne, and that the family will be moving over soon. Her family has been a mainstay at FBC-NO for many years.

Meanwhile, the other current flows, the incoming stream.

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I have not been his pastor for 21 years, but at least twice over these decades, my friend Rick has said, “Joe, I pray for you every week. I ask the Lord to grant you long life so you may serve Him for many years to come.”

Recently, when he said that, I thanked him and expressed my surprise that he would still pray for one out of his distant past whom he sees so rarely. I told him what someone said to our mutual friend Bill Hardy.

After a number of years as their minister of education, Bill was moving from Woodland Hills Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi, to join the staff of the First Baptist Church of Kosciusko, an hour up the highway. At the reception in his honor a little lady said, “Bill, I have had you at the top of my prayer list all these years.” He said, “I sure do thank you. And I hope you’ll keep me there.” “No,” she said, “let your new church pray for you. I’ll be busy praying for our next minister.”

I’ve reflected a number of times on Rick’s prayer that I would live long and serve well. Genetically, it would appear not improbable since my father is 95 and Mom will be 91 on July 14. We’re told that more and more Americans are living to be 100 these days.

The question comes: do I want to live to a ripe old age? Is this something one should desire?

In Isaiah 38, God sent word to King Hezekiah to set his house in order, that he was about to die. The Judean king was stunned. He sunk into a deep depression (“turned his face to the wall”) and cried out to God bitterly that “I’ve served you faithfully all these years.” Implying, it would appear, that the Lord owes him. And, since he actually had been superior to most of his predecessors, God heard his cry and granted him 15 more years of life.

Hezekiah was thrilled. But it turned out not to be a blessing for the country.

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In the Lakeview section of the city, two church schools are up and running, flourishing even, while the public school lies in ruins. Neighborhood people say St. Dominic’s Catholic and St. Paul’s Episcopal schools–both pre-K to grade 7–became leaders of the comeback of Lakeview. Edward Hynes Elementary however has lain untouched since the hurricane and is due to be demolished. Therein lies the controversy.

In the first place, city agencies have more hoops to jump through than private schools, we’re told, more red tape and more complex financing issues to deal with. A school board member said, “We lumber like a mastodon.”

After the storm when people were re-entering Lakeview, the very-active parents organization mobilized volunteers who arrived at Hynes Elementary ready to gut out and clean their school. They were turned down by the Orleans Parish School Board, due to liability issues and the need for FEMA to get in and assess damages.

So, while the two church schools welcomed volunteers and contributions from encouragers across America and got on with the rebuilding, Hynes Elementary lay there, just as it does today, untouched. Like a bad time capsule. The chief financial officer for the school board explains that dealing with heavily damaged properties like Hynes is not as high a priority as reopening schools with greater potential. When the weeds at Hynes became scary, parents and neighbors convinced the board to have the lawn cut. One small victory.

The school board has put Hynes on the list for demolition and total replacement. This puzzles the community. Even though FEMA declared the building as more than 51 percent damaged–thus qualifying it for replacement–some local construction companies have toured the building and found it solid.

The principal, on the other hand, admits the building was decaying even before the storm. She says FEMA found greater damage than can be seen by a walk-through. This appears to be a great opportunity to get a new building and who can blame her. The fact that the school will not be in operation until the 2009 year matters some but not a great deal since the community is still sparsely re-settled.

The Essence festival in New Orleans this week has welcomed Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton as major speakers. Both candidates for the Democratic nomination for President promise that the rebuilding of this city will be a large feature in their administrations.

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In my previous request, I asked for cards for Pop’s 95 birthday and I might have mentioned to many of you, that he received right at 160 (depends on who did the counting). Mom will be 91 on July 14 and we have never had a card request for her and she does not need to be left out. So….here’s my request…a birthday card for her to the following address:

Lois McKeever 191 County Road 101 Nauvoo, Alabama 35578

It will be appreciated if you will do this and you might mention it to other members of your family since when you get to be 91, most of your friends and relatives are already gone on.

When you get to be 91 or 95, let me know and I will return the favor. Thanks a million!!!

Ronald J. McKeever

rjmdsm (at) excite.com

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Driving back home from North Alabama Tuesday, I stopped for a rest in Picayune, Mississippi, and read the Biloxi newspaper. As with our paper, it was saturated with Katrina news. A charitable eatery called “God’s Katrina Kitchen” was being shut down by one of the towns on the Mississippi coast.

Ever since the dark days following Hurricane Katrina, the good people manning this food ministry have been doling out free meals to construction workers and volunteers and storm victims. They’ve even relocated a couple of times, and are allowing the homeless to sleep on their premises. That’s what caused the problem, evidently, for the townspeople say crime is following the kitchen and it’s now time to shut the ministry down. When the town council voted to do just that, some applauded and others wept.

That is a microcosm of life in these Gulf cities these days. The same event is often good news and bad news.

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In Reader’s Digest, October 2004, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones says, “For marriage to be a success, every woman and every man should have her and his own bathroom. The end.”

Ten years ago, when two good friends of mine–both widowed and family friends for ages–decided to marry, they agreed to keep both their houses. Ann Marie says, “Rick’s house is too small for all my stuff.” Rick says, “It’s just about large enough for her clothes.” She smiles, “Besides, it’s on the golf course and he loves to golf.”

Rick says, “After breakfast, she leaves and goes to her house. She works around there, in and out all day, and then we get back together at night.” Ann Marie says, “I have friends whose husbands have retired and they’re underfoot all day. This is so much better.”

Besides, I suggested, you each have grown children and they have families, so this gives you more room to have them over.

I told them about two other friends, Winfield and Barbara, both widowed. I’m going to hazard a guess about their ages when they married, again about a decade ago. He was perhaps 70 and she was 55. I’m just guessing, Barbara. (She reads this.)

Winfield owned a house in Nashville and Barbara had a home in Cumming, Georgia. They kept their houses and lived in both of them, a few days or a couple of weeks here, then there.

I gave them the famous Tallulah Bankhead quote. Asked if she thought separate beds were necessary for a happy marriage, she answered in that husky Hollywood voice, “Separate beds nothing! Separate towns.”

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