My wife Sara Faye and I are honored to have her mother Celia live with us in her declining years. The two of them just made a trip to check on the family homeplace in Middle Tennessee. I thank Sara Faye for allowing me to share the following personal reflections with you which she jotted down one evening during that visit in 1999. (Edward) * * * She sits on the bed surrounded by piles of photographs. The frustration and agitation are evident on her face as she gropes for a name, a place, a memory -- searching through the mists which have come to her 87-year-old mind. She brightens at a … [Read more...]
‘RECHARGED’ AT DOUBLEHEAD
October 1999 -- One can hardly imagine a venue more conducive to spiritual "recharge" than the picturesque Doublehead Resort, located alongside Wilson Lake amidst 1100 acres of towering pines and hardwoods between Decatur and Florence, Ala. A gentle and much-needed rain throughout the weekend highlighted the comfort of the 5,000 square foot central lodge and lakeside log cabins, where I joined about 30 men from the Seven Mile Post Road Church of Christ (7MPRC) in my hometown of Athens, Ala. for 15 waking hours of Bible teaching, worship, testimonies and prayer. The rain also reminded us of … [Read more...]
MINISTRY IN MALIBU & LONG BEACH
April/May 1999 -- Sara Faye and I returned home to Houston on Monday evening following a week of physical and spiritual refreshment that included the Annual Bible Lectures at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, weekend visits with several relatives, and Sunday ministry with the Church of Christ in Long Beach. These were six days of praise and worship, Bible study and some of the richest Christian fellowship to be found on this earth. To imagine a worship session at Pepperdine, think of 6,000 believers accustomed to a cappella singing, meeting in a university gymnasium, lifting the … [Read more...]
FROM A BROTHER IN BELGRADE
On Saturday, March 27, 1999, I received a heart-wrenching e-mail from Goran Zarubica, a Christian brother in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, forwarded to me from a vocational missionary in China who is my cousin in the flesh. I reprint part of Brother Zarubica's unedited letter to remind us that God is not a nationalist, that his kingdom includes men and women of all peoples and nations, and that the day will come when the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our God and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever. * * *"Brothers and sisters in Christ -- Hope is in God! The … [Read more...]
KARLA FAYE TUCKER
A gracEmail subscriber in Tennessee asks, "What are your thoughts -- as a believer, an attorney, and a Texan -- concerning Karla Faye Tucker? I am so thrilled by her witness to God's redemptive power. But I fear for a nation whose leadership is so concerned about doing justice (vengeance?) that it has forgotten what it means to love mercy. Texans shown on TV here appear so cold and vengeful that it's scary. I would love to get your perspective." * * * Most of the civilized world knows that on February 3, 1998, the State of Texas executed Karla Faye Tucker by lethal injection for the … [Read more...]
PRESIDENTIAL REPENTANCE
On Friday, September 11, 1998, the U.S. Congress opened and released to the public the Report of Special Prosecutor Kenneth Starr, setting forth what Judge Starr characterized as impeachable offenses by the President of the United States. The same day, the President hosted the annual White House Prayer Breakfast, at which he made the following remarks. Only God knows his heart and his sincerity. As Christians, we are obligated at this point to accept them as genuine. We must also denounce as unchristian two popular reactions to recent events -- one liberal and one conservative. Those … [Read more...]
A GARDEN OF PRAISE
July 1998 -- The crepe myrtle is blooming in Limestone County, Alabama, and so are the plantings of God's spiritual garden. This was the land of my birth and youth, the home of my Fudge ancestors since about 1805. Nestled midway between Birmingham and Nashville, the fertile Appalachian plain is nourished by the Tennessee and Elk Rivers, by Big Creek and a multitude of sparkling streams. But God's Holy Spirit watered our souls this weekend, as the River of Life flowed out from the heavenly throne, growing deeper as it went, bringing life to all that it touched (Ezek. 48:1-12). What a feast … [Read more...]
A LITTLE TASTE OF HEAVEN
April 1998 -- When I visualize the New Heavens and New Earth, part of it looks a lot like Birmingham, Alabama in the Spring. Verdant mountains covered with old growth hardwood trees and adorned with luxuriant azaleas have it all over golden streets in this man's imagination. Then there are the people. These are special people, to be sure -- disciples of Jesus who make up the Campus Church of Christ where I was privileged to speak four times on Saturday and again on Sunday morning. There were Frank and Lila Sutton, my gracious hosts, and hosts to countless others through the years who for a … [Read more...]
EARLY MORNING SPRING
Now that Springtime 1997 has come to Houston, I am trying a new exercise regimen. Rather than walking in the evening, I like to face the outdoors head-on at about 6:00 a.m. My neighborhood trek takes about an hour and covers three miles. The first mile is thoroughly residential. The next passes a couple of schools separated by soccer fields and baseball diamonds, then fades into open road surrounded by the Gulf Coast version of woods. The final mile completes an approximate circle through a different residential area and back home. At 6:00 a.m., God's world is on fresh display. I meet very … [Read more...]
REFRESHMENT IN THE ROCKIES
September 1997 -- It is 6:30 a.m. and the camp bell announces wake-up in the Rockies. Three hundred feet from my cabin window, the cold waters of Pine Creek sing their unending song. This crisp Montana morning the thermometer indicates high 40's. I step outside to take in the view. The steep mountain peaks, dressed in fir, protect us in a tight circle. Elk roam these forests, and deer. Bears as well, and wildcats, along with raccoons and squirrels and other smaller creatures. Humans are the interlopers in this ancient and venerable scene. Some 50 adults and half that many children have made … [Read more...]
