Pastoral Ministry

God built incredible beauty and variety into every facet of creation. He was not content to create the world in black and white or drab grays. He invested it with the colors of the rainbow and a million shapes, sizes, and textures. When you examine the universe, you have to conclude with Annie Dillard, “The Creator loves pizzazz.”

PREACHING PROGRAM—FALL 2008
First Baptist Church—Booneville, MS
Dr. Lynn Jones

Sept. 7

Morning Worship

“Bracing for the Attack” – Eph. 4:26-27; 6:10-18

Evening Worship

“The Basis of Joy” – Luke 10:17-20

Sept. 14

Morning Worship

“Allowing God to Settle the Score” – Romans 12:17-21

Evening Worship

“Becoming an Uncommon Church” – Acts 13:1-5

Sept. 21

Morning Worship

“Our Models for Life” – 2 Thess. 3:6-9

Evening Worship

“The Need for a Second Touch” – Mark 8:22-26

The author John Steinbeck loved the sea, and he loved nature. As a result of these passions, he became a friend of Ed Ricketts. Ed Ricketts collected specimen from the sea, which he then sold to labs across the country.

One evening last week I was sitting on the patio eating a dessert, when a fly got the same idea. Since we had only one dessert between us, we got into a fierce contest for the dessert. I finally won out, but, since he couldn’t have it, the fly did his best to keep me from enjoying it. As I sat there swatting at the fly with one hand and trying to eat my dessert with the other, I thought of Ogden Nash’s couplet. He wrote: “God in His wisdom made the fly. . .and then forgot to tell us why.”

When I was growing up in Plainview, Louisiana, one of the significant dates on our yearly calendar was the Saturday before the third Sunday in August. That Saturday was Memorial Day at Prewitt’s Chapel Cemetery. All of my folks who had died on Daddy’s side of the family were buried in that cemetery. Each August we made our annual pilgrimage to that cemetery to pay our respects. We visited the graves, went inside the church for a memorial service, went to stand by the graves of family members for a prayer, and then had a big dinner-on-the-grounds beneath the trees.

In a “Calvin and Hobbes” comic strip, Calvin’s mother was sitting in her chair reading a book and drinking a cup of coffee. All of a sudden Calvin walked in wearing a space helmet and cape. His mother asked, “What’s up today?”

Calvin replied, “Nothing so far.”

“So far?” his mother asked.

“Well,” Calvin said, “you never know. Something could happen today. And if anything does happen, I’m going to be ready for it!”

Calvin left the room, and his mom said, “I wish I had a suit like that!”