Blog Article Archives

On April 23, thirteen members of First Baptist Church of Augusta departed Atlanta for Pecs, Hungary to partner with CBF field personnel Glen and Clista Adkins and their work with the Roma Gypsies. In the last blog entry I gave you information regarding the Romani...

As you read this I am well on my way, along with twelve other members of the church, to Pecs, Hungary. This is the second mission trip to work with Cooperative Baptist Fellowship missionaries Glen and Clista Adkins at the Gandhi School where we will, in part, teach...

…bread, of course. For most of us bread is both abundant and taken for granted. Except for the annual threat of a snowstorm which rarely manifests, grocery store shelves are filled with bread of numerous (countless?) varieties. Store bought bread, however,...

Car? Bus? Cab? Horse? Train? Mule? How did you get here? Throughout my childhood until I was old enough to own my own car (a 1969 Mustang fastback, 3 speed, straight six - for those of you who are curious) I went to church in my daddy’s pick-up. On the dairy there was...

(photo by Rainier Ehrhardt) “When death comes… I don't want to end up simply having visited this world” - Mary Oliver Last night (Wednesday, February 25) we hosted an Ash Wednesday service. Even though Christians have observed some form of the imposition of ashes for...

I love the rich breadth of Christianity, which means I am open to “new” ways of experiencing community with fellow believers. Observing Ash Wednesday (this year it is on February 25) is an old practice for believers around the world but fairly new to most Baptists. I...

I have a not-so-secret confession to make – I love classic soul music. Sure, I recognize that some may think I should listen to more respectable if not conventional music. Stan and Keith listen to the arias, Rodger is rather fond of Broadway tunes, and Andy listens to...

Not so long ago I made the suggestion to my beloved that we should take a yoga class together that is offered at the “Y” next door to the church. You read this correctly: yoga…together. I have never taken yoga in my life but I did as a kid love the television series...

…was one of those metal types. I hear there are people who collect them. I still have this lunchbox complete with thermos and they are both somewhat prominently displayed on our bookshelf. It is a bit scratched up, but otherwise is in pretty good shape and if you open...

…That is what it has felt like anyway; that we were packing away Christmas. We waited as long as we could but honestly the tree was becoming a fire hazard. It has been up since a day or two after Thanksgiving so I suppose it was time. Ten or eleven years ago when we...

I wrote the following article a couple of years ago, but I thought it was worth repeating. Every year I am amazed at the lengths people go to in decorating their homes for the holidays. I say, "go for it!" I use to poke fun at some of the gaudy decorations I would see...

A few weeks ago our associate pastor Dr. Rodger Murchison gave a delightful children’s message centered on the joy of giving. In it he recollected when he was eleven years old and made this discovery in planning, preparing and giving his mother a Christmas gift. As I...

I have added a few more books to my reading list for 2008. Like I have said before, not every book was a good book, but every book gives me an opportunity to dialogue.  If you would like to dialogue further about any of these books mentioned here or those I have...

Charles Dickens penned this opening line in his book A Tale of Two Cities almost 150 years ago. Could these be such times today? Our financial structures have been shaken to the core and whether you are a custodian cleaning bathrooms or an executive pondering...

There is so much in life that is not fully appreciated until it is a memory. Relationships come quickly to mind. When Amy and I were newlyweds we lived on a very meager income, rented a garage apartment that smelled of mothballs, and did not have a television set for...

I try to keep a log of books I have read each year. Throughout the year I make periodic updates to this blog as I finish a book. Please visit the above tab titled "Reading Lists" that covers books I have read since 2005. Not every book was a good book and not every...

You could say this is “Part 2” from last week’s article. We have returned from our camping trip and, as always, there are more tales to tell along the hiking trail. This time I had company – my family. It was Amy’s idea that she and the boys join me and I thought,...

Earlier this month Amy, the boys and I camped somewhere in the middle of the Great Smoky Mountains. We try to camp there at least once a year and every year has a new adventure: poison ivy from the firewood; an unexpected rain coming through an unexpected hole in the...

Last weekend it was out with the old and in with the new. I am referring to my small raised-bed vegetable garden. I cleared out the old tomato vines and pepper plants and reconditioned the soil with a mixture of horse manure and organic fertilizer. Finally it was...

I am a newbie to the “Facebook” world, but through the persistent persuasion of our younger ministers I am now an official Facebook account holder. To the uninitiated, Facebook is an online networking site that is yet another way individuals can connect with one...