In September 1939, Winston Churchill became First Lord of the Admiralty for the second time.\u00a0 A quarter of a century earlier, during the First World War, he held the same position.\u00a0 To assume the leadership of the greatest navy of the world\u00a0twice was an amazing thing.\u00a0 To do so 25 years apart was even more remarkable.<\/p>\n
Churchill thought of all the great officers he had worked with the first time.\u00a0 They were all gone now. He alone was still living and serving. In one of his books on the Second World War, Churchill quotes this little piece from the Irish poet Thomas Moore….<\/p>\n
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I feel like one who treads alone<\/em><\/p>\n Some banquet-hall deserted;<\/em><\/p>\n Whose lights are fled,<\/em><\/p>\n Whose garland’s dead,<\/em><\/p>\n And all but he departed.<\/em><\/p>\n At the time, Churchill was not yet 64 years old.\u00a0 Not exactly ancient.<\/p>\n I’m 76 years old and delighted to be standing still and serving frequently. Last weekend, I served in the First Baptist Church of Shannon, Mississippi.\u00a0 This weekend, I’m in Red House Baptist Church of Richmond, Kentucky, ministering in all three services and sketching as many people as possible.\u00a0 The following Thursday night, I’ll be sketching and speaking to 300 seniors in Winder, Georgia, for their annual associational thing.\u00a0 That weekend, I’ll be at Jacob’s Well Church in Diamondhead, MS and Brandon Baptist Church, Brandon, Mississippi.<\/p>\n I’m also happy to announce that I am not the last\u00a0survivor from the seminary class of the 1960s when I came through.\u00a0 To be sure, many of my colleagues who sat under Dr. George Harrison, Dr. John Olen Strange, Dr. Malcolm Tolbert, and Dr. Bob Soileau are in Heaven now.\u00a0 And others, while still living, are retired and in poor health and unable to carry on the kind of ministry they would like.<\/p>\n Dr. Paige Patterson and his wonderful wife Dorothy are still on the front lines for the Lord, far more active than I.\u00a0 We sat in those classes together in the 60s.\u00a0 Paige preached a revival for me at the little Paradis Baptist Church where I was serving.\u00a0 He had one speed and that was “full.”\u00a0 He was loud and fast and strong.\u00a0 Hearing him now–as former president of the Southern Baptist Convention and longtime presidents of two of our leading seminaries–is a blessing.\u00a0 Dorothy writes books and has served as editor of a best-selling Women’s Bible.\u00a0 They’re most impressive.<\/p>\n Bobby and Sue Hood are still actively serving the Lord.\u00a0 Bobby was in the music field in those days, as I recall, and served both FBC Kenner and Suburban Baptist Church in the New Orleans area.\u00a0 He had me do a youth revival at Suburban and serve as pastor for the youth retreat at Camp Kittiwake in ’67, a year or two before Hurricane Camille blew it off the map.\u00a0 They served as missionaries to Brazil and pastored churches in Mississippi and Alabama. Bobby has preached in my churches and led singing for a revival or two, and we’re still great friends.\u00a0He may be\u00a0the only preacher I know who is as active on social media as I am.<\/p>\n Those are just two. There are others.<\/p>\n I love being this age and still out in the field with my cotton sack, still able to pluck a few bolls here and there.\u00a0 Weighing up time is not too far ahead, but I’m not planning to quit early.\u00a0 There’ll be plenty of time to rest up after dark.<\/p>\n I’m not alone in the field.\u00a0 New folks are arriving all the time, many of them with far greater harvest-skills and better equipment than I ever had.\u00a0 But scattered across the field, there are veterans who have been out here through the heat of the day…and look it! (smiley-face goes here)\u00a0 They are my champions.<\/p>\n When I was young in the ministry and fairly stupid, the colleagues I admired most were those who made it big, who served in prominent places, who achieved important things.\u00a0 But after fifty-plus years of this, I find myself most admiring the ones who, regardless of the size of their skills and prominence of their assignments, have labored steadily for the Master.<\/p>\n These are our real heroes of the faith.<\/p>\n I’m so glad and honored the Father has let me linger here.\u00a0 Driving to the Alabama farmhouse today and on\u00a0to Kentucky tomorrow, I will fill the car with prayers and praise to such a benevolent and gracious Lord. Serving Him is the best thing there is.<\/p>\n “Thank you, Father. Ten thousand reasons to praise Thy name.”<\/p>\n You are looking at one thankful Alabama cotton-picker.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In September 1939, Winston Churchill became First Lord of the Admiralty for the second time.\u00a0 A quarter of a century earlier, during the First World War, he held the same position.\u00a0 To assume the leadership of the greatest navy of … Continue reading