MARRYING MAN

            I spoke with my grand niece this week. This is my brother Bill’s grandchild. I married her grandparents (my brother and his wife Evelyn) and then I married her parents (Peggy Jo and Donnie Helms). She wanted to know if I am still doing wedding ceremonies. She thought it would be special if I could also marry her and her fiancé, the third generation. Being a licensed minister in the state of Alabama, I still have the legal authority to preside at weddings and sign the marriage license. Also, as long as I can don my robe, stand up and speak, I can accomplish the task.

            To be sure, I still have my robe; and also my baptismal trousers. But serving at Central Park Baptist with the few members being median and senior adults, in these four years I’ve neither married someone in the church nor baptized anyone into the church. I have done a number of weddings, however, for relatives and former church members or their children. So I assured Katie that I would be delighted to preside at her wedding in May.

            For the first several decades of my ministry I could claim that of the persons at whose weddings I had presided, none had divorced. Alas that ended some years ago. Tragically, many now go through the heartache and trauma of divorce, including any children involved.

            The vows repeated verbally in a ceremony are of no value unless there is a prior commitment of the will. A commitment to the spouse but also, for believers, the vow is a commitment to God. God is a party to the union. Jesus said, “What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.” (Mark 10:9) 

Grace and Peace

GROWING OLD(ER)

             This Friday Liz and I will attend the “Golden Bulldog Lunch” at Samford University. As the name implies, the lunch is for Samford (Howard) graduates who finished their degree fifty or more years ago. The truth is, I finished fifty-six years ago and Liz finished fifty-four years ago. I rejoice to attend and fellowship with some other old people. But being eligible to be a part of the lunch affirms once again that we are getting old(er).

            Growing older has its own positives, but this occasion will provoke the memories of how great it was to be a college student in the 1950’s. It was a relative innocent time and peaceful time. The Korean conflict was ending and the Vietnam War was not yet on the radar. The post World War II boom was still progressing. Most of us were far from rich, but we had all we really needed. And most were experiencing upward mobility.  Rock and roll music was bursting on the scene with Elvis, Buddy Holley, Fats Domino, and others. There were the great experiences unique to the college, the A Capella Choir, the classes, preaching trips for H-Days, even the hour long trolley ride going to and coming from campus.

            We cherish that time but also cherish each part of life. Wise King Solomon said, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) Also, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” (3:8) Our task is to find the beautiful in every season, at every age.                                                                                                                  

Grace and Peace