In Wednesday’s Pastors meeting at LaPlace…. Mike Canady came from the state Baptist convention to acquaint everyone with NAMB’s Project Noah, involving thousands of volunteers in rebuilding 1,000 homes and 20 churches…Cherry Blackwell talked about the First-Responders-Appreciation-Event set for Saturday April 8 at the New Orleans Arena. All pastors and others interested in helping us honor the thousands of military/law enforcement/medical/firefighting workers who saved our city are invited to meet with Cherry at Williams Boulevard Baptist Church in Kenner on Tuesday, March 21 at 2 pm.

I left early for a funeral of a dear 87-year-old who was a pillar in the First Baptist Church of Kenner for all the years I was there and a long time before. Brentiss “Brenda” Triay–all 80 pounds of her–had worked during the Second World War at the Delta Shipyards in New Orleans, down in the ships’ holds, using a welder burner. Her son-in-law David Watts, said, “She was an unsung hero of the war.” Brenda and her two sisters, Sybil Boudreaux and Catherine Creel, were mainstays of the church, the kind of members every pastor craves, the low-maintenance/high return kind. I was greeting worshipers one Sunday and came near where the three sat, making my small talk. I said to them, “There’s something I don’t understand. You are all sisters. You obviously love each other. Why don’t you live together?” They reacted in horror, and said almost in unison, “Oh no. We can’t get along!” I’m still laughing about that.

I’ve decided to use our sessions with the pastors on Wednesdays to drop in an occasional pointer on pastoring churches. Since I was leaving early today for a funeral, I took the occasion to share some convictions on Christian funeral services.

1. Make the gospel message clear and plain. Do not equivocate on the promises of the Lord about eternal life. When it comes to death and the afterlife, you have the only message in town.

2. Begin your funeral message with a clear, concise statement from Scripture. “I am the resurrection and the life…” or “Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me….” I’ve seen ministers walk to the podium and their opening words of the funeral were something like, “So many times when we come to experiences like this….” I think to myself, “You’ve spoken only half a sentence and I’m already bored. Speak up, man. Tell what Jesus said. Be positive!”

3. I suggest you memorize many of the texts you will be using in funeral messages. John 11:25 and John 14:1-6, as well as Psalm 23, come to mind. You need to know those texts inside and out. However, one caveat: If you recite a lengthy passage from memory in the service, open your Bible like you’re reading it and glance at it occasionally. Otherwise, you will draw attention to yourself and away from the Scripture. The audience will quit listening and start thinking, “Isn’t he smart. He has memorized all that.” Often in a funeral, I may quote Psalm 23, but no one knows I’ve memorized it since I have the Bible open. Only by looking over my shoulder would anyone notice it’s not open to Psalm 23.

4. In a funeral, do not give the “zip code” for all the Scriptures you will be using. No one cares that you’re now reading chapter 11 and verses 5 through 8 and have just read chapter 8, verses 11 and 12. Just read it. At other times when you are actually teaching the text, give every reference. But not at a funeral. Just declare it.

Toward the end of the morning, I talked with the pastors on how to make your public invitations more effective. Two events in my life have forever etched a great lesson on my heart.

In the mid-1970s at the Billy Graham crusade in Birmingham, I attended his school of evangelism held at a downtown church. One of the conferences dealt with making your public invitation more effective. The teacher asked the class, “At what point does Mr. Graham begin his invitation in a crusade sermon?” Someone raised his hand and said, “When he begins to speak.” “Exactly,” said our teacher. “Notice what he does tonight.” That evening at the time of the sermon, Mr. Graham walked to the podium, said some preliminary remarks, then said, “Tonight many of you have come here with burdened hearts. Some have come with broken homes and great questions. I’m going to ask you to commit your life to the Lord Jesus Christ….” and he went on from there, beginning his sermon with an invitation. He repeated it in the middle of the message and then extended it for real at the end. As usual, people filled every aisle going forward.

A few years later, we had taken our youth choir from our Mississippi church to England for two weeks. Our host church’s pastor invited me to preach for the church in Tonbridge, Kent, both Sundays. I did everything exactly as I would have back home, including offering a public invitation, to which, incidentally, no one responded. On the second Sunday, a deacon said, “Pastor, may I tell you why no one responded to your altar call?” He explained, “Pastor David extends the invitation only on the Sundays when we have the Lord’s Supper. So, we know to expect it then and we’re ready for it. But we did not know until you came to the end of your sermon you were going to do that. Had you told us when you first got up, we would have been ready.” Great counsel, too late given, but something I should have already known.

I challenged the pastors to begin their messages by announcing to the congregation the nature of the invitation at the start of the sermon, then repeat it in some fashion in the body of the message, and then, of course, at the end. And see what a difference it makes.

Freddie Arnold and I met with a pastor and church leader of a congregation that is in the middle of the dead zone this week. They’re trying to decide what to do, as are other churches in the same situation. We will appreciate the prayers of our friends throughout the country.

Freddie finally got inside his FEMA trailer. It’s been parked at our associational building for weeks, but without electrical hookups. And the keys were locked inside. “How did you get in?” I asked. He grinned sheepishly and said, “With a wire. I picked it.” Ah, those pre-salvation skills do come in handy from time to time. A team from Oklahoma is wiring the trailer this week.

BILLY GRAHAM ARRIVES IN NEW ORLEANS

Thursday’s paper tells of Mr. Graham’s and Franklin’s tour of the devastated areas of the city Wednesday, particularly the Lower 9th Ward. At one point, the senior evangelist got out of the van to gaze around at the scope of the disaster. Having to be helped in and out of the van, he said, “I’m sorry for being so crippled.” Double whammy of a broken hip and Parkinson’s. Mr. Graham said, “I’d thought I’d read it all, but it doesn’t compare to what you see in just a few minutes’ tour of this area.”

The Grahams join a list of famous people who have taken the tour of this blighted neighborhood, including Prince Charles, the king of Jordan, the head of the Greek church, and President Bush. “W” made his 10th trip to the area yesterday, and again called on Congress to vote the money for our area he has requested. The celebrities react the same way friends I’ve taken through the area do: with disbelief and shock. In the last 10 days, they’ve found 9 more dead bodies in this section of the city. By now, they’re unrecognizable and the coroner has to do his best to determine sex, race, identity.

THURSDAY’S MEETING WITH BILLY AND FRANKLIN GRAHAM

Thursday morning, pastors and spouses were invited for “a special time of prayer and encouragement with Billy Graham” at the First Baptist Church of New Orleans, scheduled for 11:15 with lunch to follow. I arrived 30 minutes early and the place was filling up. Everyone was greeting one another, meeting new friends, and enjoying the event when I noticed Dr. Graham slowly making his way onto the platform. I stood and started clapping. In 5 seconds the entire place was on its feet with raucous clapping and cheering for this champion. Cameras of all kinds, but mostly from the media, were arrayed in front of us. On the platform, left to right, were: George Beverly Shea, Cliff Barrows, Bishop J. Douglas Wiley, Host pastor David Crosby, Billy Graham, Franklin Graham, and Fred Luter, Jr. A dream team if one ever existed.

David Crosby informed us that the pulpit in use today was the same one from August of 1954 used by Billy Graham at the old Pelican Stadium for his only crusade in this city. Some ten signatures of that evangelistic team were etched into the wood of the pulpit, including the three leaders with us today. Several have graduated to Heaven. David invited Franklin Graham to add his name to the list. After the benediction, as many news people and pastors gathered to study the pulpit and take pictures as to meet our guests.

We applauded repeatedly and welcomed these distinguished guests who have come to minister to our city. I was sitting in the back, close to overdosing on joy, teary-eyed and unable to quit smiling.

Cliff Barrows led in some hymns, in his inimitable fashion. He said, “George Beverly Shea is 97 years old. Billy is in the middle and I’m the baby of the group, at 83.” He added, “We have a combined 267 years between us.”

“Franklin Graham has stood up for the name of Jesus all over our world,” David Crosby said. “I’ve found him to be a kindred spirit, with a deep commitment to the gospel of Jesus and to meeting the needs of people. Soon after Katrina hit, Franklin was down here, talking to leaders about what his people could do. To date, his organization has invested $34 million in our area. And he has made a longterm commitment to stay with us.”

Franklin Graham said, “This is an historic occasion. I never dreamed that Daddy and Uncle Bev and Uncle Cliff would be able to be here for this ‘celebration of hope.’

“Soon after Katrina, I was down here talking with community leaders and pastors. A mayor of a suburban community said to me, ‘I have not seen a FEMA worker. They may be here, but I haven’t seen them. I haven’t seen a Red Cross worker. They may be here, but I’ve not seen them. But I have seen church vans from Iowa and church buses from Michigan. It’s the churches that have saved our community.”

“A Marine who is now working with FEMA told me, ‘The faith-based groups have something the other volunteer groups do not have. They meet needs no one else is touching–deep spiritual needs. When you lose your home and everything you own, the first thing that needs healing is your spirit.”

“We have come to support the church in New Orleans. This is not about us; you get the credit when we leave. You will stay here. ‘We are your servants for Christ’s sake.'”

“When we were first invited to come for this event, I felt inadequate. I didn’t want it to look like we were grandstanding. But your pastors convinced us we needed to come preach Jesus.”

“Saturday night (at the Arena), you’ll have to put up with me. Daddy will preach Sunday. We intend to give people the opportunity to get up out of their seats and come to Jesus Christ, our only hope.”

“David asked me to introduce Daddy. I’m not quite sure how to do that. People ask me ‘What it’s like being the son of Billy Graham?’ I don’t know. I’ve never had another father. But he’s a wonderful man. He’s the same person at home as he is on television or in a stadium somewhere. Daddy, welcome!”

The congregation rose as one to welcome this hero who is ignoring his pain and his infirmity to be here during our time of great need.

Billy Graham slowly made his way to the pulpit with his walker. He put it off to the side and stood at the pulpit, hunched somewhat, obviously weak. But he’s still Billy Graham.

“I’m hard of hearing and don’t know what Franklin said. (laughter) I want to tell you I’m devastated by what I’ve felt and seen. I haven’t called my wife about this yet because I’m not emotionally capable of telling her what it’s like.”

“I’ve been so impressed by the pastors of all backgrounds working together. Thank you for the privilege of being here.”

“This is the first time I’ve had a tie on since the New York Crusade in June. I couldn’t tie it. I have other problems, too. Something Bev Shea is too young to understand.” (laughter)

“At Pelican Stadium, we went for six weeks. Every night. I would preach 50 minutes or an hour and a half.(someone called out a loud, “Amen!”) No wonder we had such a hard time filling the stadium!

“Dr. J. D. Grey was the pastor of this church back then. He was a true friend and a real character. Just before coming to New Orleans, we did the crusade in London and we invited him over. He told the British all about New Orleans. They didn’t understand him at all.” (laughter)

“In the Bible, Job lost his sons and his daughters and all that he had. He didn’t complain at first, but worshiped. He believed and trusted and debated. Eventually, God restored and gave him many times over everything he had lost. I believe God is going to do that for you.”

“This disaster is a mystery. People always ask ‘why?’ I don’t know. I don’t know anyone who does. God did not cause it, but He did allow it. Maybe it was to build a new New Orleans. (chorus of amens) Jesus Christ is no security against storms, but he is the perfect security in the storms.”

“I watched your mayoral debate on television the other night, and learned more about New Orleans than I had ever known. There are many political divisions in the city. Many political winds blowing. The only thing I didn’t hear in the debate was anything spiritual. And that is the city’s greatest need. I pray God will become the mayor of this city!”

“I used to come to the Gulf Coast a lot. We took vacations on the beach. We flew into New Orleans and drove to the beach. I’ve been up and down the bayous and seen the alligators and snakes. Now they’ve come to the city!”

“God has raised up Christian leadership in this city. I believe we’re going to see God at work.”

David Crosby announced that Mr. Graham’s 25th book has just been released by Thomas Nelson Publishers. Copies of “The Journey,” a distillation of 70 years of Graham’s sermons, will be given to each family here today. 700 were on tables in the foyer, gifts from the publisher.

At one point in the program, I pointed out to the pastor on my right that the crusade this Saturday night and Sunday afternoon will be translated into Mandarin, Spanish, and Vietnamese. “I know,” he said, “I’m doing it.” I was sitting beside Pastor Le Ngoc Thuong of our Vietnamese Baptist Church in Gretna.

The note at the bottom of the program thanked Jack and Amelia Leonardi of Jacques-Imo’s and the First Baptist Church of Covington for providing the lunch today. Covington’s Pastor Waylon Bailey and Martha were there. After we hugged, I thanked them for lunch. Waylon said, “Let me tell you how that happened.” A new member of his church had called to say he had some extra money, and did the pastor have suggestions on needs he might meet. Waylon named several and left it there. A day or two later, David Crosby and he were talking and David mentioned that he needed some money to provide lunch today. Waylon said, “I know where that money is.” The church member enthusiastically agreed that he should buy the lunch for the pastors and spouses.

Waylon said, “One more thing. I invited him and his wife to be here today. I told them this is a historic occasion and you are part of it. He said, ‘No. This is not about us. We want the Lord to be glorified, not us.'” Members like that are a pastor’s dream.

Outside, this Thursday afternoon at 4:45 pm, the winds are blowing mightily and howling through the neighborhood. We’re under a tornado watch for the next couple of hours. Every tree is bending over and touching its toes, something the survivors have gotten good at lately.

The wind of God’s Spirit is blowing through also, doing wonderful things in our community.

We ask our friends to join us in praying for the Father to draw people to Himself in these days and to begin the process of making New Orleans new.