Last weekend when our son Marty was down, we rode around the area and took a few more snapshots of damaged churches and I gave him the CD which Ed Jelks had made from some of our church-assessment trips several weeks ago. He carried this all back to Charlotte and has posted several of the church photos on our website.

All of these churches are in St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes, the worst hit area of Louisiana. There were plenty more pictures, but in the honorable tradition of editors through the ages, Marty chose only the most dramatic scenes.

And he included the shot of the horse in the tree. It’s not a great shot and was made from the inside of the pickup truck, I believe, but you get the idea. Ed Jelks thinks it was a mule. I say it was a horse. We both agree that it’s dead.

While you’re on that page, if you haven’t already, check out the Nehemiah cartoons. Even better, call them to your pastor’s attention. Many of our churches will be studying this wonderful Old Testament book this winter, and these cartoons are meant to complement that. Some will print out the ‘toons and transfer them to power point or to overhead cels and display them for the congregation in the lessons. Others print them out as posters to advertise the study. Permission is automatically granted for you to use them any way you choose.

One of the best things about attending the state Baptist convention, as I have been doing this week, or the national convention for that matter, is the fellowship with friends. We need this so badly that at any given time, you will find nearly as many people chatting in the exhibit areas as in the sanctuary attending the meetings. Program committees pull their hair out over this, but let someone rotate off that committee and you’ll find him standing in the hallway chatting with an old friend. It’s the nature of things. God made us this way and it’s not bad. We need each other.

Tuesday night’s session was canceled due to a storm that blew through and shut down the airport, preventing Evangelist Junior Hill from arriving. Either the committee did not know I was available to speak or it never occurred to them, so they gave us the evening off. I went to dinner with longtime friend and present Discipleship Minister here at FBC WEst Monroe Dwight Munn and New Orleans pastor Keith Manuel, of Calvary Baptist Church. We ate at a restaurant called the Warehouse, overlooking the Ouchita River, and I can recommend it totally. We laughed and enjoyed each other. Dwight and Keith had not known each other previously, but they have so much in common–about the same age, wives are teachers, children similar in ages, etc.–I felt they would enjoy knowing each other.

Introducing two people who become friends for life can be one of the best blessings in life.

We need fellowship. God made us this way. But according to the International Mission Board’s Tom Elliff, who brought our Bible studies at the beginning of each session, there is at least one fellow who does not.

A pastor named Roger was exhausted. He worked it out with his family and his church and moved to the backside of a remote wilderness area where he lived completely alone. After six months of this, one day a burly gruffy character showed up. Lars was the nearest neighbor, some 15 miles over the mountain, and he wanted to invite Roger to a shindig he was planning. Roger opined as how he had been alone for so long, the fellowship would do him good.

“Just one thing,” said Lars, “there will be some drinking at this party.” “Well, I don’t drink,” said Roger, “but I need to get out, so I’ll come on.”

“And there will be some fighting,” said Lars. “I’m not a fighter,” said Roger, “but I think it will be all right. I’ll be there.”

“And there will be some gunplay. There always is,” said Lars. “Well,” said Roger, “I’ll just bring my pistol and come on anyway.”

Then Roger said, “Can I bring anything?”

“Suit yourself,” said Lars. “It’s just going to be the two of us.”

Dr. Elliff said, “Not everyone likes fellowship.”