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Sorry I was gone for so long. The week before my vacation I was consumed with making sure things were covered while I was gone. Then there was the week of the vacation (which was wonderful). Then the week after my vacation was filled with meetings, preaching, weddings and such. All good stuff.

You can look at some of the pictures ... if you want.

Three of the last four ministers of Grandview: me, Frank, and Ben.

Me and the new groom, Sanjay.

The installation of Mke Sweeney as president of Emmanuel.

Mike Sweeney speaking in chapel.

European Evangelistic Society meetings on Monday.

Now to the vacation ...
Cindy and the girls in Key West.

My lucky shot with my iPhone: seagull at sunrise.

The ocean at sunrise.

Okay ... another sunrise picture (I get up early).

Funny Photo

Wish I had thought of it!
Brilliant.

Hoodu U and Professor Huso

I haven't been able to post our Rendezvous videos until now. Special thanks to Deke Bowman (video guy) and Adam Bean (Professor Huso Eber).

Hope you enjoy!

Around the Post

If you're the kind of person who runs in church-discussion circles then you're familiar with the much heralded arrival of the Post-Modern, Post-Scientific, Post-Christian world. When I was a kid "Post" was just a secondary brand of cereal (I always coveted the characters on the General Mills cereals. Post cereal cartoon characters were poorly developed.).

I need to become more conversant on the topic because I will be leading two seminars at Emmanuel on knowing the mind of your congregation and then on the topic of reaching Post Moderns. It's the second topic that concerns me the most because "Post Modern" hasn't quite arrived in East Tennessee.

Oh ... there are free spirits and ill-logical thinkers around, but I'm not sure how many true Post Moderns there are. East Tennessee is still overwhelmingly (and yet thinly) Christian.

My daughter, Anna, told me that on her bus there was a boy (let us call him "Darwin") who proclaimed that evolution could be proved and that the idea of a creator God (my description, not his) was laughable.

"Don't you believe in God?" A fellow rider asked.

"No." Darwin said.

At that point, according to Anna, the bus population descended on him in an angry rage, demeaning him, grilling him, and dismissing his beliefs as ridiculous. In other words, the bus riders who nightly play music so offensive that I can't print the lyrics here, riders who consistently speak to each other in words angry and vulgar in nature, treated the non-Christian boy in a most unChristian fashion. To which, I suppose, he should have no moral objection because on the bus (as everybody knows) survival of the fittest is the only rule.

We Christians, however, should have moral objections to the kind of behavior the bullies and berates those who disagree with us. We worship someone whose very life demands we love (not just tolerate) those who disagree with us.

Anna said that while the melee was going on she looked at Jim (who is in the Grandview youth group with her) and said, "Do you get to facebook this or do I?"

Sigh. How do we teach our children to do more than believe in Jesus? How do we teach them to love like he loved?

Last week's Two 4 Two

Two 4 Two had another fine night last week. Here are some pictures from the night.

Frank and Dee ... the happy couple.

Patience in the light.

Colton takes a break from supper.

Abby is growing up quickly these days.

If you haven't heard Thomas pray, then you've really missed out.

Touching Base!

Tomorrow begins a new sermon series. We have three weeks of stewardship emphasis. We will focus on the journey of one of Jesus' disciples, looking at his call, his celebration, and his follow-through.I haven't blogged about the demise of The Oasis, my favorite coffee shop. Sadly, The Oasis has gone the way of all independent coffee shops in Johnson City. Oh, sure, the Mall version lives on; but the community that gathered at the university location has been dispersed; scattered like the children of Israel in the wake of ancient conquerors. Too bad. I continue to believe that coffee shops are the modern equivalent of the front porch. They are places where you can see some of the same people over and over until you become connected.

Barrista Brent and Owner Chuck gave me a goodbye smile.

And this was my last cup of coffee.

Also, Happy Birthday to Cindy's grandfather! He turned 93 on Tuesday. He seems to be doing really well. Several folks from Grandview visit him from time to time. He always tells me how much he appreciates those visits. Thanks to all!

Sneak Peak

Aaahhhh ... the mellifluous tones of Frank Davis and his voice-over for the Grandview stewardship slideshows (coming soon to a worship service near you.