I said to Pastor Steve James of Trinity Baptist Church, “Lake Charles is such a lovely little town. I wish the state convention was a couple of days longer to give me time to explore it.” He smiled, “You could do that in one day and have time left.” Quaint shops, cute cafes, historic streets–I do love lovely little picturesque towns.

Looking back over Monday and Tuesday, I’m amazed at all the activities I packed into the 24 hours in Lake Charles, and that’s without attending all the convention sessions. (Many years ago, as a young pastor, I felt duty-bound to not miss a convention report or a sermon. Over the years, you adjust to the reality of other meetings you need to attend, people you need to see, and your diminishing stamina.) I met with people who are helping to rebuild New Orleans, with the other directors of missions from across the state, with various friends and colleagues, and still had time to hear a number of reports and sermons from Tommy Middleton (Woodlawn Baptist Church, Baton Rouge) and our own Fred Luter (Franklin Avenue Baptist Church).

For my money, there were two highlights of this two day convention. Monday night, Dr. Joe Aguillard of Louisiana College–our only Baptist institution of higher learning in the state–gave a great report on the health of LC, and was accompanied by the college chorale. Then the football team came out, and several players addressed the convention. What we heard knocked everyone off their feet.

“Our guys pray together,” one of the players said. “This year we’ve had 70 young men pray to receive Christ.” Applause. “We do a lot of community missions, too.” Pictures thrown on the screen showed them in nursing homes. Impressive.

“We were speaking in one church and someone asked me, ‘How often does your team pray?’ I guess he was trying to be funny because they all laughed. He did not know we had prayed 3 times coming up there that day, and sometimes during practice we’ll pray 8 times.”

What really blew me away was that, next, the football team sang a song to the convention. That’s right, the football players sang. “I Want to be Holy” was the title of the song. I made a little joke to the LC student to my left that with the football players singing, perhaps the chorale would be playing the football game this Saturday. But there was nothing funny about what we were seeing in front of us.

As the Louisiana College report progressed–they were way over their allotted 20 minutes but no one noticed and no one cared–the faculty members entered down the aisle dressed in their robes and hoods and mortar boards, then all over the auditorium students and other LC people rose and joined the group down front, as they all sang a hymn of praise to God. Most impressive.

The convention gave them a standing ovation that went on and on.

President Aguillard pointed out that most of the LC students receive some kind of scholarship aid. “We want you to take pride in this institution,” he said, “And we’re asking you to invest in it in a serious way.” He asked everyone of us and every one of our churches to send a minimum of $1,000 for the scholarship fund. Now, I’m a 1962 alumnus of Birmingham-Southern College–a Methodist institution–but I intend to write a check and send their way this week. At a time when many Christian colleges are breaking their denominational ties and renouncing their Christian heritage, it’s so refreshing to see one reaffirming its loyalty to Scripture and Christian values.

All day Tuesday people were talking about the incredible report from Louisiana College Monday night.

Fred Luter brought the annual convention sermon Tuesday just before lunch. It was confessional and honest and candid, and so effective. Here are my notes.

“Katrina affected me like nothing ever did. I did not want to preach, pray, read my Bible, or go to church. It was unusual for me to go through that range of emotions. But to share with you today is therapy for me. God has seen me through.”

“Franklin Avenue’s members are all over America. I think I have preached in every one of our state conventions this year, and wherever I go, I meet them. They are scattered all over this nation. We’re meeting early every Sunday at First Baptist, New Orleans, and have been worshiping in the afternoon at Istrouma Baptist Church in Baton Rouge. Pretty soon, we’ll be moving that service to Florida Boulevard Baptist Church in Baton Rouge.”

“My subject today is HOW DO YOU REBUILD AFTER A STORM? Everything inside you tells you to quit. One day you’re pastor of one of the largest churches in the city and the state, and everyone knows you. A few days later, you’re in a strange city and no one knows you except by your FEMA number. I’ve cried more in the last year than in my entire life.”

Fred’s text was Mark 4:35-41, the story of Jesus calming the angry sea and rebuking the frightened disciples for their lack of faith.

“Storms will come, no matter your status or race or situation. We went through Katrina in our part of the world. Over here at this corner of the state, you had Rita. Some of you did not go through either hurricane. But you’ve still had your storms. Divorce, an unfaithful spouse, sickness, financial hardship, tough times in your family, your marriage, your church. Storms come.”

“Now FAITH is the first area the enemy works on you. Sitting in my daughter’s apartment in Birmingham, we watched New Orleans drowned. I kept asking, ‘Lord, why is this happening? God, do something! People are dying. This is America. It’s not supposed to happen.'”

“For the first time, my faith was shaken. I could not understand why. I didn’t want to talk with anyone or read my Bible. I knew there were some things in New Orleans God was not pleased with. So I said, ‘God, if you have a problem with the French Quarter, why not just take out the French Quarter?’ But the French Quarter was untouched. If God had a problem with Bourbon Street, why didn’t He take out Bourbon Street? It was unflooded. My church flooded. New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary flooded. My home flooded. But the French Quarter was high and dry!”

“I heard all these preachers on television saying, ‘God sent Katrina to New Orleans because of the sin of the city!’ Well, if that’s true, He missed the French Quarter!”

“Billy Graham was down here last March. He said, ‘God did not send Katrina to New Orleans; He allowed Katrina to come to New Orleans.'”

“God allows us to get into situations where we can’t depend on Mama and Daddy or the boss or the government. God wants us to turn loose and trust Him. To see if we really have faith.

“Anybody can talk and sing about faith. Every now and then, God lets you get in a situation where you have to use your faith.”

“The disciples had seen Him work. They had heard Jesus. Yet they did not know what to do when the storm hit. That was me. People were looking to me, but I didn’t know what to do.”

Fred turned to the Scripture and said, “Here is how God led me to Mark 4 and rebuilt my fellowship with Him.”

1. REMEMBER THE PROMISES OF JESUS. “The Lord told the disciples, ‘Let us cross over to the other side.’ That was a promise they would arrive safely on the other side of Galilee. He did not come to drown. He came to do the work of God and He wasn’t nearly through yet.”

2. REMEMBER THE PRESENCE OF JESUS. “They took Him in the boat.” “I forgot that when I was weeping on the sofa in Birmingham. He’s going through that storm with you. Ask Noah about His presence in the storm. Ask Moses about His presence in the wilderness. Ask young David about His presence before the giant. Ask Gideon as he faced the Midianite army without a single weapon. Ask Elijah on Mount Carmel. Ask Daniel in the lion’s den. Ask Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace about the Lord’s presence with them.

“But not only them. There are some here today who can testify about His presence. He was there in your storm. You know.”

3. REMEMBER THE POWER OF JESUS. “Jesus woke up and looked around and said, ‘What’s up wid y’all?’ That’s the Luter translation of ‘Why do you have no faith?’

“Don’t point a finger at those disciples, because that was me a year ago, watching my church and my home and my community underwater. I was born there in the lower 9th ward, and raised there. I went to school there. That is my home. I kept saying, ‘Lord, why don’t you do something?’

“God came and sat with me. I felt His presence. I said, ‘Lord, I’ve lost everything.’ He said, ‘You mean your relationship with me was based on things? Your house, your car, your clothes?’ I said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Fred, this is not the first storm you’ve gone through. How long have you been saved?’ I said, ’30 years.’ He said, ‘How long have you been pastoring Baptists?’ ’19 years.’ ‘How long have you been married?’ ’25 years.’ Then He said, ‘You’ve had storms in your life and your ministry and your marriage–and I’ve brought you through!'”

“I went back to Mark 4 and saw the disciples having a pity party like I was. ‘John, you’re his favorite–you wake him up?’ ‘I’m not waking him up. Peter, you’re the one who walks on water–you wake him up.’ All that bickering. Jesus woke up without them, rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, and said, ‘Are we there yet?'”

“They probably said, ‘Lord, you don’t understand–the boat was rocking, the sea was boiling, we thought we were going to drown.’ And the Lord said, ‘You forgot my promise. I sent you to the other side. You forgot my presence. I’m in the same boat with you. You forgot my power.’ Then He looked at the storm and calmed the seas.”

“When I was a kid,” Fred concluded, “I used to love the Superman cartoons. I didn’t think much of Clark Kent. He was too nerdish for me. He and Steve Urgle (spelling?) must have been brothers. But I loved Superman. When the situation got bad, he stepped into a phone booth and stripped off that suit and glasses and hat. And there was that red suit and cape and the big S across his chest.”

“Friend, God doesn’t have a telephone booth for us, but He wants us to get into our prayer closet and quit being a Clark Kent and start being the strong-people He has made us. We too wear a giant S across our chest, and Satan sees it. That S stands for Saved. And Sanctified. And Survivor. Strength! And Soul-winner!”

My notes have a little of the zing of Fred Luter’s preaching left in them, but you shoulda been there, friend.

Professor (and former director of missions) Reggie Ogea brought the report of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary to the convention in place of our president, Dr. Chuck Kelley, and then again spoke to the alumni luncheon meeting in a hall of Trinity Baptist Church. Toward the end of his report, Alumni President Roy Davis asked me to say a few words on how churches can get involved in helping New Orleans rebuild. I encouraged them to go to this website (www.joemckeever.com) and click on the house on the right side of the page marked “If you’re coming to help us,” and to visit our associational website (www.bagnola.org). I added, “You may want to do what the First Baptist Church of Covington did.” Everyone turned toward Dr. Waylon Bailey, the outstanding pastor of that church, who had been previously honored as a former professor of Old Testament at the seminary. I told how FBC-Covington received great damage from Katrina and how they lost many members who moved away in the aftermath, but that a few days ago, that church sent checks for $10,000 each to 20 of our neediest churches. What an example!

And I asked them to pray for us. “Pray big.”

Later, Waylon Bailey said to me, “What we did was just a trifle.” I said, “Friend, for a church that’s struggling to stay afloat, that $10,000 is a life-saver.”

Everywhere I went this week, people were inquiring about New Orleans and praying for us and sending best wishes.

I arrived back in New Orleans at 7:30 Tuesday evening and did my usual routine. Like the old time cowboy who does not park his bronc at the hitching rail and go in the house, but takes it to the barn and strips it and wipes it down and curries it while it’s feeding, then he goes into the house by the back door, I make three stops before turning toward my house. I stop at the Shell Service Station and fill up. I drive down Williams Boulevard a few blocks and wash the highway dirt off my car. Then I run by the Winn-Dixie and buy some groceries. Inside the house, I don’t sit down until I’ve unpacked my bags and put everything away. And typed my report to you.

So, that’s the report. It’s now 9 o’clock and time to rest.

Oh, one more thing. Marty has posted 36 cartoons on the Epistles of John–the Winter Bible Study for Southern Baptists this year–on this site. They’re free. Download them and use them any way you can. DOM Randy Hales puts them on power point and uses them in several churches where he’ll be teaching these epistles. We’re delighted to help.

If you’d tell your pastor, we’d appreciate it.