The whole world is grieving under the weight of the losses of this year. The coronavirus has reached every place on earth except Antarctica. In our country, it is the 3rd leading cause of death, with about 1,000 souls a day. Millions of acres of forests, farms and towns are burning in California, Oregon, and Washington. Hurricanes and repeated flooding threaten even more people. Financial, racial, and political tensions have up-ended families, churches, and communities. So much grief, and no real opportunity to properly mourn together. I came across this poem this week by Maya Angelou, who was raised in Sparks, Arkansas.

When Great Trees Fall 

When great trees fall, rocks on distant hills shudder, lions hunker down in tall grasses, and even elephants lumber after safety. When great trees fall in forests, small things recoil into silence, their senses eroded beyond fear.

When great souls die, the air around us becomes light, rare, sterile. We breathe, briefly. Our eyes, briefly, see with a hurtful clarity. Our memory, suddenly sharpened, examines, gnaws on kind words unsaid, promised walks never taken.

Great souls die and our reality, bound to them, takes leave of us. Our souls, dependent upon their nurture, now shrink, wizened. Our minds, formed and informed by their radiance, fall away. We are not so much maddened as reduced to the unutterable ignorance of dark, cold caves.

And when great souls die, after a period peace blooms, slowly and always irregularly. Spaces fill with a kind of soothing electric vibration. Our senses, restored, never to be the same, whisper to us. They existed. They existed. We can be. Be and be better. For they existed.  Copyright © 2015 by The Estate of Maya Angelou.

Isaiah reminds us that our Messiah “is a man of sorrows who knows our grief.” By faith I believe that one day we will gather at church again to worship, pray, sing and even share our accumulating grief. Until that day, weary as we have become, we press on, step by step. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. You are a great soul. And let’s experience the love and power of God together while apart.

Bro. Darryl

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If all goes smoothly, the Avery family will arrive in Houston, Texas about 2:30 this Sunday afternoon, September 13^th. They will quarantine in Houston until the end of the month. Kevin’s parents live there, so they will spend much time with them. We talked to the Averys on Sunday evening, which was Monday morning in China. September 7 was Molly’s 13^th birthday. The whole family was recovering from Molly’s birthday sleepover. They are down to the final packing of everything into eight suitcases to bring with them. Everything else they own in Shenyang is being given away. There have been farewell parties, visits with many of the families they have been ministering with, guests from other parts of China, and last-minute work meetings to finish up all the details.

Kevin, Dayna, and the children are scheduled to move to Tulsa around October 1^st. The gracious people of Arrow Heights Baptist Church in Broken Arrow are providing their furnished Mission House for them through the end of the year. This will give them time to find a suitable place to live. Their mission efforts will continue as Kevin assumes the management of the mission organization, Serving Humanity in Crisis (SHIC), headquartered here in Tulsa. Kevin will continue his work in Shenyang through Zoom and other virtual platforms, much as he has done since the pandemic began. He is also negotiating the publication and distribution of his Chinese book, Needs to Be Seen, throughout China. Mission and autism centers in other areas of the world seem interested in his book also. The Averys mission efforts to children with disabilities and their families continues, with just a change of address.

On a personal note, I would like to thank you for your prayers and financial support of our daughter and son-in-law, Dayna and Kevin Avery. Your support for these missionary volunteers has enabled them to touch countless lives for the Lord. And the work they have begun will continue far into the future. In addition to safe and smooth travels, you can pray for Kevin’s health and stamina for the journey. The trip will take them about 35 hours, flying on Delta from Shenyang to Shanghai, then on to Seoul Korea, to Detroit, and finally to Houston. They will be wearing their N95 facemasks and distancing from others as much as possible on the planes and in the airports. By the way, they have a family motto: Averys can do hard things, because nothing is impossible with God.

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Know that God provides. And let’s experience the love and power of God together while apart.

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Summer is the time to imagine the future. I was promised there would be flying cars by now. I do not exactly remember who made that promise. What a difference a flying car would have made for how we might have spent this summer of confinement. Then there was the imagination of Oklahoman Chester Gould, who in 1946 equipped comic strip detective Dick Tracy with a telephone watch with a tv screen. There was this implied promise that technology would make our life more comfortable and convenient. The original Back to The Future movie was released to theaters 35 years ago this summer. In the movie sequel the story ended up in 2015, which promised flying skateboards, hoverboards, if you will. Of the three, we got the watch, which is probably the most practical of the promises.

Sitting on the porch in the summertime brings out the smiles, the memories, and the imagination. We lost more than we realized when suburban architects moved the front porch to the backyard, and then installed “privacy” fences. Part of the joy of the front porch was watching the neighborhood come to life before your very eyes, waving at friends and seeing the children at play. Porch-time is good for the soul. Sit on the porch during a summer rain and feel the world change. Witness the cleverness of a squirrel raiding the bird feeder. Taste the luxuriousness of a fresh ripe peach or a homegrown tomato. Watch the fledgling sparrows learn how to fly. With a glass of iced tea at hand, read a Bible story, sing softly of God’s love, listen to all creation praise His name. Imagine the impossible, dream the incredible and relax in peace and grace. It is perfectly acceptable to relax into a nap or become inspired to write out a few new ideas. Do not wait for flying cars, or even self-driving cars, to make your life better. Enjoy the best life there is today. The only promise of tomorrow that we can count on is that God will be with us whatever tomorrow may hold. I recommend reading all of Psalm 118 today. Flying cars are not mentioned, but the image of an open gate for us to walk (or run?) through stirs a holy imagination in us.

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Enjoy the porch. Let’s experience the love and power of God together while apart.

Bro. Darryl

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A few years ago, I wandered around the Army Navy surplus store looking for a good deal on something. I was open to what that might be. They tried to interest me in some body armor—a bullet-proof vest. It was camouflaged with multiple pockets and places to attach my survival gear. Wearing that vest, they told me, I could face down the bad guys when all the bad stuff starts to happen. What stuff? You know robbers, looters, zombies, that kind of stuff. Here, try it on. It’s only $140.00 and like new. I looked it over. They were right. I did not see any bullet holes anywhere on it. Of course, this particular vest must have been worn by someone much bigger and in better shape than I ever was. It was not a good look for me.

The experience quickly brought to mind David, when he volunteered to challenge the giant Goliath in a death match. Everyone stopped laughing when they realized David was deadly serious. The well-intentioned king decided that David needed to wear the best armor available, so David put on the king’s armor. It is too much, too big and too heavy. “David tried walking around, because he was not used to them. …I cannot go in these. . . So he took them off.” (1 Samuel 17) David used his own armor: faith in God, a slingshot, a stone and a plan. I also remembered the story’s lesson, be true to who you are; do not wear someone else’s armor. 

Lately, I’ve been on a quest for the perfect facemask. I have discovered two that seem to work best, the blue medical one and a double layered washable black one with a long shoelace type cord that goes over my ears and around my neck. That means it can hang at my neck when I take it off. It can also serve as a stylish bib. 

God provides the custom-fitting armor that each of us need for the spiritual battles that we face every day. “Put on the whole armor of God,” admonishes Paul in Ephesians chapter 6. Hiding behind someone else’s armor will never work. Face the day ready to meet the test with the grace and strength of God’s love and power. With all the bad stuff we face each day, armor up, do not be afraid, for our God is with us.

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Wear your own armor. And let’s experience the love and power of God together while apart.

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Summer is the time to imagine the future. I was promised there would be flying cars by now. I do not exactly remember who made that promise. What a difference a flying car would have made for how we might have spent this summer of confinement. Then there was the imagination of Oklahoman Chester Gould, who in 1946 equipped comic strip detective Dick Tracy with a telephone watch with a tv screen. There was this implied promise that technology would make our life more comfortable and convenient. The original Back to The Future movie was released to theaters 35 years ago this summer. In the movie sequel the story ended up in 2015, which promised flying skateboards, hoverboards, if you will. Of the three, we got the watch, which is probably the most practical of the promises.

Sitting on the porch in the summertime brings out the smiles, the memories, and the imagination. We lost more than we realized when suburban architects moved the front porch to the backyard, and then installed “privacy” fences. Part of the joy of the front porch was watching the neighborhood come to life before your very eyes, waving at friends and seeing the children at play. Porch-time is good for the soul. Sit on the porch during a summer rain and feel the world change. Witness the cleverness of a squirrel raiding the bird feeder. Taste the luxuriousness of a fresh ripe peach or a homegrown tomato. Watch the fledgling sparrows learn how to fly. With a glass of iced tea at hand, read a Bible story, sing softly of God’s love, listen to all creation praise His name. Imagine the impossible, dream the incredible and relax in peace and grace. It is perfectly acceptable to relax into a nap or become inspired to write out a few new ideas. Do not wait for flying cars, or even self-driving cars, to make your life better. Enjoy the best life there is today. The only promise of tomorrow that we can count on is that God will be with us whatever tomorrow may hold. I recommend reading all of Psalm 118 today. Flying cars are not mentioned, but the image of an open gate for us to walk (or run?) through stirs a holy imagination in us.

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Enjoy the porch. Let’s experience the love and power of God together while apart.

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I remember when people who celebrated 50th Wedding Anniversaries were old. A little history if you will. Dorothy and I first met in Ft. Worth at Papa’s Pizza Parlor. We were at a Sunday night after-church event. Dorothy introduced herself to me and invited me to church. I teased her that I had been a member of the church for months, and that I taught a 5th Grade Boys Sunday School class. That was in March of 1970. We went on our first date April 10. Over the Memorial Day weekend, we drove non-stop to Atlanta so she could meet my family. She flew back to Ft. Worth while I stayed with family a few more days. I proposed marriage and gave her a ring on June 3. Some smiled and thought we were crazy. There was a blur of events, and we were married on August 1, 1970. Dorothy’s brother Ray officiated, and my father stood as Best Man. 

We have been living through the memories of our courtship as these days of much togetherness have unfolded. Today we uncovered the menu-sized sing-along sheets that Papa’s Pizza Parlor used for their guests’ entertainment. We have rummaged through the picture albums, wedding books and boxes of keepsakes. We had planned for a different celebration, on a beach in Florida with a family party/reunion. This unanticipated plan has turned out to be richer, deeper and quieter. The beach will wait for us to get there, maybe next year. 

There was a blur of events and now fifty years of marriage has arrived. The actual definition of history is not just about events of the past. History is what we do today, and the day after that, to make a better future, which will become the past. Our story was born in much prayer and guidance of the Spirit. With imperfections abounding, we have sought to honor God first in our relationship with expressed affection, love, and forgiveness. Agreement on the things in life that really matter. Disagreement with respect, not hostility or ugliness. Learning to laugh, cry and be flexible.  Absolute trust and integrity with each other, and more forgiveness and love. The passage that has guided Dorothy and me the most is Proverbs 3:1-12. We know we are blessed beyond all measure. Thank you for your part in our story.  

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. We are not old yet. Let’s experience the love and power of God together while apart.

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One of my personal goals through this time of  COVID-19 has been to not gain 50 pounds. Dorothy is an excellent cook. I am the designated grocery shopper since March. She has yet to go into a grocery store, which is a fair trade for all the good food she has prepared. Cooking three  meals a day for seemingly endless days became an enjoyable challenge for her, for a while. After a few weeks she decided that she wanted to do more with her days than figure out what to fix and eat three times a day. She cautiously went back to work two days per week. She implied that it might be helpful if I participated a little more fully in the meal preparation. Take out it is—now two or three times a week. 

I read recently about the Betty Crocker Cookbook making a comeback during these uncomfortable times. Chances are you are acquainted with the Big Red cookbook from your earliest days. While Betty Crocker has been the “face” of General Mills since the 1920’s, the cookbook with her name was first published in 1950. In that post-depression, post-war era, no one went out to dinner much at all. In fact, in those days one-third of a household income went to groceries. The genius of the cookbook was found in its explanation of how to prepare even the most complicated recipes in simple words and pictures. Comfort food found its glory in Betty Crocker. Dorothy got her first Betty Crocker cookbook while she was in junior high school. It was the big, bulky loose-leaf edition. We still have it, though it has been put away for safe keeping. 

I have managed to keep my weight the same through these days. Dorothy always cooks healthy, with lots of fruit, salads, and vegetables. Smaller servings of heavier meals does the trick and gives us left-overs to enjoy it all longer. Eating at home is healthier than eating out all the time. It has given us time to grow some cherry tomatoes and have a cucumber patch, which are now available for our salads. Are you staying healthy through these times? Or are you finding yourself standing at the refrigerator 20 times a day? Are you outside daily—walking, working in the yard, or feeding the birds? 

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Take care of yourself. And let’s experience the love and power of God together while apart.

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We have all honed our skills as health risk assessors and managers lately. We have been developing these skills all our lives. Many of us still hear a parent’s voice in our head when we start to do something risky or dangerous. The riskiest thing we do is driving while multitasking. Multitasking is eating a hamburger, changing the radio, and trying to find where the napkin went while driving 65 mph down the expressway during the lunch hour. It is safer to fly with the Blue Angels than to drive in rush hour traffic faster than the speed limit with cars all around you looking to change lanes so they can get there faster than you. 

Going back to church for in-person gatherings is a new risk for us to assess.  Hand sanitizing, face masks and social distancing are the best actions for all to take to keep ourselves and others safe in this time of coronavirus. I have been listening to the stories of the churches who have begun their services this month. Most are working well and tailoring the worship time to the health and age groups within the congregation. Face masks should be worn by everyone while singing and going in and out of the building. Always sanitize your hands when entering and leaving. 

I heard of one church who wanted to have some fun with the idea of social distancing. On their first Sunday back, they provided everyone one of those colorful foam water “noodles.” The instruction was to keep the distance of the float and your extended arm from those around you. It was a fun idea and made the point, although they underestimated the pent-up need to play with others. “You’re too close!” “No, you’re to close!” The bonking began, sword fights broke out and the kids howled with excitement. That is what I heard about one church. I could not verify the truthfulness of the story, but it sounds about right. What an amazing time to be alive.

I am more than ready to return to in-church worship. It is very hard to keep postponing our first time back. The Hebrew people spent 70 years in exile before some were able to return to Jerusalem. They wept. They rebuilt. And they sang, I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the House of the Lord.’ (Psalm 122)

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Be glad. And let’s experience the love and power of God together while apart.

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I just completed the first 10 weeks of what I am calling God’s School of Church Technology. It is a self-directed program initiated by the Great Pandemic of 2020. The next 10 weeks will proceed with the same directive—learn what I need to understand about using technology to advance the effectiveness of the church. I have written of this before. Imagine my surprise when I discovered I was also enrolled in God’s post-graduate School of Church Sanitation and Disease Control.  My only experience in this field was two months as a janitor in charge of changing incandescent light bulbs (fluorescent fixtures require skill), floor sweeping, and wrestling a buffer. Also, I once had a food handler’s permit for meals on wheels that expired years ago. Now, in concert with our Hispanic congregation, I have become acquainted with the intrinsic differences between hand soap, antibiotic foams and sprays, and alcoholic and non-alcoholic sanitizers. A support group has become a necessity.

Immediately following our March 15 closure of the building, some volunteers from Monte Los Olivos cleaned and sanitized the restrooms, kitchen, hard surface floors and doors. Later, the water fountains were sealed off from use and the pews, microphones and other surfaces cleaned. Each week now, three teams rotate through the church cleaning before and after any gatherings. As the Hispanic church has begun weekly services, this procedure has worked well. We have focused on the restrooms by replacing the soap bottles with automatic antibacterial hand soap dispensers and providing flushable toilet seat covers. In the main foyer, in the entrance by the kitchen and in Fellowship Hall, we are installing foam hand sanitizers. We have placed sanitizing stations in the sanctuary.

We are considering ways to keep all of us safe during and between Sunday morning worship, while both churches are in the building at our usual times. Occasionally my mother would send us off to bathe saying, Cleanliness is next to Godliness. The saying is not found in the Bible. It is attributed to the Methodist evangelist John Wesley, but probably had its origin in an admonition to wash thoroughly dating from the times of the Black plague. The Bible does advocate clean hands and a clean heart when approaching God in prayer and worship. 

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Stay clean and safe. And let’s experience the love and power of God together, while apart.

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It was one of those teachable moments. You know the kind; where the teacher shows up in the spontaneity of the moment and everyone “gets it.” We were going over the elements of the Lord’s Supper for the children’s moment. What do the bread and the cup of juice represent? “Skin and blood,” was the child’s answer.  We all suddenly learned an amazing truth. It was a teachable moment. God, through Jesus, was real. He had skin and blood. He loved us that much. 

I’ve begun to have concerns about “teaching for the test.” Tests teach one thing—there is but one right answer to every question. So students want to please by trying to discern the “right” answer that a teacher wants to hear. That’s why children tend to respond with “Jesus” to every question a Baptist preacher asks about God. Most of the school teachers I know understand the place of tests, but dislike being required to teach to mandatory tests that may unduly shape a student’s life and self-respect. In real life there are many answers to every question. But absolute answers, without exceptions, seem to be what is to be expected. 

Absolutes are easier to grade and judge. You either get right or you are wrong. Getting it wrong too often means you are a failure. Being a failure means you just don’t get it. If you can’t get it, then what is the point of school? If there is no point to school, because you are a failure, why try at anything else? If you believe you have no future you do not have a dream for your life. Without a dream, you perish. Do you know anyone who has no dream for the rest of their life? Are they boxed-in, with no “right answers” about tomorrow?  I suggest we “teach for the life.” Help others find their dream. 

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Put some skin in your relationships. And let’s experience the love and power of God together.

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