October 17, 2023 - Good Morning! It's Tuesday, October 17.
My favorite pianist is a man that I never heard play. Fredric Chopin died on this day in 1849. That was about 30 years before a man named Edison invented the phonograph. But Chopin was also a composer, and when you listen to others play his piano pieces, you get a glimpse of what it was like to hear the Maestro play.
October 16, 2023 - Good Morning! It's Monday, October 16.
Yesterday morning, in the worship service at First Baptist Center, our pastor asked us to do something that was a bit unusual for a Sunday morning service. He asked us to gather in small groups in our sanctuary to pray. He asked us to pray . . . for Israel.
October 13, 2023 - Good Morning! It's Friday, October 13.
Are you afraid of Friday the 13th? Well, enough people are that there's a word for it... paraskevidekatriaphobia. Say that three times fast! Every year has at least one Friday the 13th. 2023 has had two. 2026 will have three - Get Ready! And one last little bit of trivia - Friday the 13th only occurs when the first day of the month is on Sunday, the Lord's Day.
October 12, 2023 - Good Morning! It's Thursday, October 12.
If you are of a certain age, you will well remember the name Nikita Khrushchev. And you will have a mental picture of this Cold War Russian leader famously losing his temper and pounding his shoe on a desk.
October 11, 2023 - Good Morning! It's Wednesday, October 11.
Once a month, the adult choir of First Baptist Church of Center... goes caroling! On a Wednesday evening, instead of rehearsing, the group travels to the front yard of a shut-in and shares songs and encouragement. The choir members are a blessing, and they are blessed.
October 10, 2023 - Good Morning! It's Tuesday, October 10.
On October 10, 1966, the Beatles song, "Yesterday", became the #1 song in America. In 1999, Rolling Stone magazine declared it the greatest pop song in history. It's been recorded ("covered") by over 2000 artists, and performed over seven million times.
October 6, 2023 - Good Morning! It's Friday, October 6.
Today is the second day of our county's annual event, Poultry Fest. All the excitement happens right across the street from our church in our town square and around our historic 1885 courthouse. If you're local, I hope you'll stop by the First Baptist booth between seven and ten tonight - I'll be selling ice cream! And all the profits go toward mission projects.
October 5, 2023 - Good Morning! It's Thursday, October 5.
Here’s one of my favorite quotes about New York City. ”If you stand on the corner in Times Square long enough, every person in the world will walk by”. It’s a thought both clever and illuminating. And it comes to mind as we sit in our church ice cream booth at Poultry Fest, our town’s fall festival. There's always a huge crowd that attends this event and it seems like, over the weekend, that every person in Shelby County walks by.
October 4, 2023 - Good Morning! It's Wednesday, October 4.
A great Shelby County tradition begins tomorrow - Poultry Fest! But, there's a great First Baptist Center tradition that happens again tonight. On the eve of Poultry Fest each year, our church has the honor and blessing of hosting a supper for all the carnival workers. At 5:30 this evening, just off our historic town square, we'll share food and encouragement with all the "carnies".