Judith Ann Charlesworth Meeks

October 19, 1939 - November 23, 2012

On a cold Tuesday afternoon friends and family gathered at the Chattanooga National Cemetery to say goodbye to my Mom who had passed away the previous Friday evening. Before she died my Mom asked me to lead the graveside service. I have had the challenge and privilege of preaching in many venues across the world. Nothing was harder than saying goodbye to my Mother. The following is the notes from my fifteen minute remarks. Many have asked if I would post them online. You can also listen to a recording of the event posted on my website by clicking here.

           

           How do you summarize the importance of anyone’s life in fifteen minutes? Even if we had two hours it would never do justice to the occasion. So I will attempt to say a few things today. I can assure you that I will not be profound, erudite or articulate. I couldn’t do that if I wanted. Today, I am simply a grieving son who deeply grieves the loss of his mother. I am here for one reason, Moma wanted me to do this and I want please my mother.

               I ask the grandkids, “What do you think of, when you think of your Granny?” There were three words that were consistent in all of their memories.

            Number one, Granny was FUN. She was not your typical Granny. Jacob said, when we went to the arcade she didn’t give you a quarter, she would give you twenty dollars! Many years ago when the grandkids played the arcade at the bowling alley, she would not have her grandkids getting those little cheap toys you usually get with your meager coupons. After playing all summer they had tens of thousands of tickets and they came out with little T.V.’s and Radios.

            They also said Granny was CURRENT. She never got stuck in a previous decade. She knew how to speak their language. She knew that a dollar in the fifties will not buy the same thing today. She was never stuck in the fifties, sixties, or seventies. She understood their world and she could relate to it.

            Finally they said Granny was GENEROUS. Granny was a generous grandmother to her grandchildren. She would take them out to by them clothes before school started and she bought them some real clothes. These grandkids loved to get their birthday card from Granny. You do not have to be a millionaire to be generous.

            I am confident that Katie and Courtney, Jacob, Jordan, Jessie Kate, and Joy, and Patton and Savannah will always remember their Granny as the fun and generous woman that she was.

            My mother loved her daughters-in-law and sons-in-law. Back when I was living with James and Mom while in high school, I brought home some interesting girls. Mom was always diplomatic but I will never forget the time after I brought Amy to meet her. She said, “Barry, this is the one!” She loved you so much Amy. You were the daughter she never had. Amy has known my Mom since she was seventeen years old and she loved my Mom as well. When Jacob was making his way into this world, Amy wanted my mother to be with her and Mom travelled down and stayed with us in Hattiesburg, MS the month before Jacob was born. You were so good to my Mother, Amy and I know you will miss her as well.

            Gail, she loved you so much and you were so good and generous towards her. Thank you. She loved you dearly. To Calvin and Jason I say as well that she loved you and was determined to never show partiality.

            My mother was a very determined woman. What made her determination different is that she always found a way to have fun in the middle of all the inevitable challenges that come to all of our lives. After my brother Keith was born the doctors told her that her body would never be able to take another pregnancy. My Mom always said that she was an only child and she was determined to not raise an only child. So four years after Keith I was born.

            My mother was determined through all of her medical issues. Because my mom was so beautiful and always laughing it is hard for some to believe what all she has been through. We had a funny experience back in July of this year after her surgery for her brain tumor, the Physician who would help with her follow up treatment came in to her room and after looking over her scans was very perplexed and said, “Mrs. Meeks I am confused at what I am seeing or rather what I am not seeing.” My Mother had a complete hysterectomy after my birth, she had no gallbladder, no appendix, no spleen and one kidney and the one kidney had been operated on and only half of it was present. The Dr. said, “Mrs. Meeks you are missing some parts!”

            I wanted to say today that my Mothers biggest challenge was raising my brother Keith! The truth is she loved Keith so very much. I wondered what stories to tell of Keith and I thought most of them would have to wait until we gather at the pool house. I do want to share one with you. When Mom moved back to Chattanooga and Keith and I were still little we went with her to Kingwood Pharmacy in East Ridge one day. Let’s be honest today, my Mother was a beautiful woman. There were two men that began to follow her around obviously to see if they could get a date. When Keith saw what was happening he turned to them right in the middle of the store and said, “Guys, you do not want her, she is thirty years old!” Mom was horrified. She loved her Keith and she was very proud of everything he has accomplished.

            I have so many memories. I remember driving around every weekend in that old 62 Chevrolet Impala. It was so bad that the rust had taken out parts of the floorboard and you could literally see the road passing by from the inside. We had towels down on the ripped seats. But we learned you did not have to have money to have fun.

            I remember being outside in the freezing rain standing upon a barrel and reaching up to take the electric meter off of the back of our little duplex apartment. They had shut our power off because of lack of payment and we were freezing to death. I took the meter off and “fixed it” like poor people had to do from time to time and we gathered our pennies together and went and paid the bill the next Monday (I hope the statute of limitations has run out for that confession).

            The most important story I can tell you about my Mom today happened when I was a young boy, probably a pre-teen. I stayed with Mom on the weekends those days and we would always get up on Saturday mornings and have these wonderful talks about everything. One Saturday she told me that she had something serious she wanted to tell me. She then proceeded to tell me about the worst decision she had ever made: the decision to leave Chattanooga when Keith and I were very little. She took full and complete responsibility for that decision and asked me to forgive her. She told me that she would live with the results of that decision the rest of her life.

            She also always demanded that I respect my dad. She never said one bad word about him to me ever. She did not have to do that because I respect my dad anyway because he is a great man. But what her actions did was make me respect her.

            As a pastor I have counseled with hundreds maybe even thousands of people who have gone through the difficulties of divorce. I have told every one of them the lesson I learned from my Mom – “RISE ABOVE YOUR DIFFICULTIES AND REFUSE TO USE YOUR CHILDREN TO ADVANCE YOUR OWN BITTERNESS.”

            A month ago she took me out on her back porch and wanted me to help her write out her obituary. I didn’t want to do it but she insisted. As we wrote out the details she said I want to thank my best friends, Terrell and Pam Horton. So, we wrote it in her obituary. Last night at the Funeral home Terrell and Pam gave me a beautiful Eulogy of my Mother and their relationship with her. I want to read it to you today:

EULOGY TO JUDY

A book cannot hold the precious memories you leave behind, but our grieving hearts can and will hold them forever.  In our friendship spanning slightly short of two decades, you have brought so much pleasure and happiness into our lives.  Words cannot express the joy we have shared with you, nor the sadness we feel in our hearts todays.  You have been like a mother, a sister, but most of all; you became our closest, dearest friend. 

Thanks for accepting Terrell’s invitation to join his bowling team, sparking our friendship, which only grew stronger as the years have now so quickly passed.  The fun times at the bowling center will not be forgotten.  Our introduction to karaoke produced many hours of enjoyment with both “good” and “bad” singing throughout the years.  From now on your words of  “I’m next,” “Shut up, I’m trying to sing,” and “It don’t matter, nobody’s listenin’ anyway” will resonate each time we crank up our karaoke system.  You must surely be singing “Move it on over, the big dog’s movin’ in.”

Thanks for introducing us to your family, whom we have grown to love.  We now feel they are a part of ours.  We also thank you for the adopted friends, many of whom we may never have known.

Thanks for the vacation times we spent together whether at home or abroad.  Our cruise in particular would never have been taken had you not convinced us to go. Thanks for flying to Texas with Pam after she begged you to go because she had never flown before and wanted you with her.  The birth of her premature grandson and his open heart surgery persuaded you to give you attending your own granddaughter’s graduation ceremony to hold Pam’s hand as she cried in terror when the plane ascended.  Only a true friend could do that.

Thanks for being there so many times for the “dine-out” or “dine-in” the “hanging-out” or “Hanging –in”, the what if’ or “who cares,” the “all-right!” or “huh-uh?” the “dress-up” or “come as you are,” the “themed party” or “no reason at all get-together,” the “come early” and “stay late,” the “foul moods” and the “happy hours,” the “more the merrier” but in particular the “just us.”

Thanks for our first taste of your white chili and jalapeno cornbread, inducing our craving for it quite often.  You leave behind the recipe, missing only one ingredient, your loving, caring hands mixing it just right.

Thanks for the mystery desserts.  Some were “delicious repeats” and others “never again!”  You leave behind a craving from our sweet teeth for “I’ve got a new dessert recipe I want to try.”

Thanks for your idea to leave the Christmas tree standing year-round in the Pool House.  Decorating it each occasion or for nothing special at all brought us many hours of fun and laughs.  A new tree is standing now that will always embrace a picture of you among the various decorations.  Everyone will remember the tree is there because of you.  It will be impossible to arrive and leave without thinking of you.

We know in time our sorrow will subside, but your memory will forever be cherished within our hearts.  Until we meet again, dear friend, we love you

Terrell and Pam

Thank you Terrell and Pam for being such good friends to my Mom she loved you dearly. Thank you to all of you who were friends at the pool house. Mom cherished her times with you.

            Finally I speak to James. James, you have done a lot of great things in your life. You served our country and you are a Vietnam Veteran. I am so proud of our country today that they provide you and Mom with a final resting place. You are rightfully proud of Brooke and Kelly as you should be. But in my eyes the best thing you ever did was making my Mom’s last 36 years the happiest years of her life. If James could stand up here today He would say how much He loved my Mom but I tell him he doesn’t have to because we have seen it demonstrated in the wonderful 36 years God gave them.

            I would be remiss today if I didn’t take a minute at the closing to give glory to God. In the Gospel of John the fourteenth chapter Jesus spoke to His disciples. They were experiencing the same kind of heart trouble we feel today. Not physical pain but emotional pain at the fact that Jesus had informed them that he would be leaving them soon. In these past few days many of you have comforted me and this family by offering words of encouragement. How thankful we are for good friends. Two of my best friends stand here with me today. We couldn’t make it without good friends. But let’s be honest our words of “it will be ok” are limited by our own human power to do anything about it. Yet when Jesus says, “Let not your heart be troubled.” He has the power to back it up. He links our sentiment to His omnipotence.

John 14:1-6

"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know." Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

            The preachers have pointed out for years that Jesus reminds us here that Heaven is a real place. It is not a pie-in-the-sky, imaginary, made up fable. It is as real as Jesus Himself. Jesus told us as well that Heaven is a prepared place. Not prepared in the sense that Jesus is a carpenter up there somewhere hammering and sawing and constructing mansions, but rather prepared in that he did what He alone could do and prepare our entrance to Heaven by dying on the Cross for our sins. Our only hope today is a hope that is supplied in the Person and Work of Jesus Christ in preparing the way. It is as well, a prepared place for prepared people. Jesus said I am the way, the only way to heaven. That is the most dogmatic statement that a person could have ever made. It demands a decision out of all of us. Was He a Fool or was He exactly who He said He was? Today we choose that He was exactly who He said He was. Jesus is Lord!

On behalf of James and the rest of the family, I say thank you for coming out on this cold day to honor my mother. God Bless You.

Merry Christmas from the Clingans

Ronald Wilson Reagan

     Today marks the 100th birthday of President Ronald Wilson Reagan. I am so blessed that I was alive during his presidency. As an eighteen year old senior in high school I cast my first official vote for Ronald Reagan as President. In a day where it seems that everybody loves Ronald Reagan, I am glad I loved Ronald Reagan before it was cool. It is not hard for me to remember how much he was vilified by his detractors during his presidency. He was regularly denounced as an “amiable dunce” who slept through cabinet meetings and was nothing more than a washed up actor. How wrong they were then and how they have been proven wrong by history.

Why is Reagan so Admired Today?
     I don’t remember who said it but I heard someone quoted during his presidency, “They only build statues for men who unashamedly stand on the principle of the right to life of all human beings, including the unborn.” Reagan was not just a likeable personality with a great American story of success; he stood for the right things. He believed in freedom, justice and personal responsibility. He believed in limited government and often gave his classic statement, “The most dangerous words are: I’m from the government and I’m here to help you.” He firmly stood on principle and not the shifting winds of the latest political poll or focus group. For these and other reasons he is beloved as one of our very best presidents ever.

An Unforgettable Experience at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley
     In 1997 I was attending a conference in Van Nuys, California and on a free day I traveled out to Simi Valley to visit the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. As I made my way up the winding road to the top of the hill where the library sits, I noticed cars everywhere. I thought surely I would never get inside. I was amazed with all of the cars there were very few people in the lobby. I paid my admission price to the museum and began to make my way though the exhibits with only one or two other patrons.

     I found a small theater with bench seats that was playing a video of great moments in the life of Ronald Reagan. All at once a door opened and light shined inside and several men stepped inside. I looked up and it was George Shultz who served as Secretary of State under Reagan. Before I could process this unexpected encounter the door opened up again and another Reagan cabinet official walked beside me. I was more than curious and as I walked toward the door it opened a third time I came face to face with Nancy Reagan. I’ll never forget the profound words that came out of my mouth, “You are Nancy Reagan!” She glanced at me as her handler quickly ushered her by me and I felt like the tourist I obviously was.
     When I approached the security guard at the small door he informed me that they were celebrating the tenth anniversary of the signing of the INF Treaty with the former Soviet Union. He cracked the door open and I received a glimpse of the hundreds of people gathered and the obvious reason why there were so many cars and so few people actually in the museum. The thought flashed through my head that the big guy himself may come through the door. The security guard sadly told me that at that point Reagan was not making any more public appearances due to his Alzheimer’s disease.


     Ronald Reagan inspired me and millions of other Americans to remember that America was a city set upon a hill, a favored and blessed nation that was indeed exceptional. He reminded us we had a rendezvous with destiny and with all of this divine favor came an equal amount of responsibility. Thank you Mr. President and may your legacy multiply and produce leaders of integrity and principle to lead us; men and women who truly believe that America is special.

Do You Need A Spiritual Breakthrough or a Radical Realignment?

     Many times we are guilty of repeating words that sound good in Evangelical Christianity without thinking of the logic of their meaning. One such word is breakthrough. What could be better than seeking a spiritual breakthrough in our life? We ask God for a breakthrough in our finances or a relationship or a job or even in a worship service. What we usually mean by this language is that we are stuck in a natural situation and need God’s supernatural power to break-through from His world to our own.

     I am not trying to split theological hairs or make a semantic mountain out of a molehill but I believe there is an important issue involved. When we use the terminology of a breakthrough we can be guilty of an unbiblical dualistic worldview

      Let me explain. Dualism simply means there are two. It has a long and varied use in the history of philosophy. Simply put it can mean there are two realms; good and evil, a spiritual realm and a natural realm, visible and invisible, sacred and secular, and God and the devil. The revelation of God in the Bible implicitly and explicitly rejects this view. There is only one universe and it is God’s. God and Satan are not equally presiding over opposing kingdoms, fighting it out to see who can be victorious; rather the Bible presents God as sovereign over all and who mysteriously allows evil to serve His own purposes for a determined period of time.

     This unbiblical world view makes it into our churches when a preacher makes the erroneous statement: “God has cast a vote, Satan has cast a vote and you have the deciding vote.” The logic of this statement implies that God and Satan are equal and you have more power than both!

     This unbiblical worldview makes its way into the modern church growth movement as well. In the Dallas Ft. Worth metroplex where I live there are an abundance of church starts based on the premise that God will grow a church that is relevant to modern life. I have had people knock on my door and ask what kind of church I would like to see in the community. The idea they present to me is that we want to build a church people want to attend. I take this to mean that God is in His world and I am in my world and God would like to break-through and show me He can be relevant to my world. I rather think that I am the one that needs to adjust to His world. The whole idea that God must be made relevant to His own world has always been an unusual one for me to understand.

     The leading “scientific” worldview of our modern era is naturalism or more specifically reductive naturalism. According to those who hold this view, everything must be reduced to a natural explanation. There is no room for “spirit” or anything that cannot be observed naturally. Therefore if man exists we must seek a purely natural explanation for his existence. Modern technology such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) that shows part of the brain “light up” when the body is presented with certain stimuli have led some of these scientists to go as far as giving a “natural” reason for a person to have a certain religious disposition.

     What does all of this have to do with the language of “breakthrough?” When we speak of God breaking through or “interrupting” our life we are inadvertently giving credence to a dualistic worldview.

     Scholar James K.A. Smith writes in Thinking in Tongues: Pentecostal Contributions to Christian Philosophy:

Thus phenomena that might be described as “miraculous” are not instances of God “breaking into” the world, as if God were outside it prior to such events; rather, they are instances of a unique and special mode of participation that always already characterizes creation (p.102).

    Simplifying all of this, I would say what we need is not a “breakthrough” but a radical realignment of our lives to the already present Spirit. Jesus was continually calling people to do this very thing. In John 21 the exasperated, demoralized disciples have gone back to what they knew best; fishing. The only problem is these expert professional fishermen are not catching anything. At this point a mysterious figure from the shore exhorts them to align their nets from the left side to the right side. When they obey Jesus and radically align their lives with His word, purpose is fulfilled and resources flow.

     When Mary and Joseph traveled from Jerusalem back to Nazareth after the festival, they “supposed Jesus was with them” (Luke 2:44). When they discovered that he was not they did not pray for a breakthrough but radically realigned their lives with his presence back at the temple.

     I have been accused of thinking too much through the years and this may be one of those instances but I truly believe words have consequences and it is important to have a world view that is based on Truth. I will certainly not be in the habit of rebuking anybody for using the term breakthrough, I may even use it myself, but it is important to understand what our words mean. After all, it is the Truth that sets us free.

The Scars Made The Difference

     One of the ways Andrew Jackson, the seventh President of the United States, changed the presidency (and I believe he changed it as much as any president) was to reward friends and eliminate foes in federal positions. Although common today, it was not a traditional practice by his predecessors. Jon Meacham’s brilliant biography, American Lion contains a great story about how Jackson was moved to rescind one such political replacement decision.

     The Postmaster of Albany, New York, General Solomon Van Rensselaer, was a veteran of the War of 1812. He was also a Federalist and a supporter of Jackson’s opponent John Quincy Adams in the presidential election. When Van Rensselaer was informed of his termination he journeyed to the White House to make an appeal to the President himself.

     After waiting on Jackson to finish with his guests for the evening he approached the President. Meacham recounts the story:

     “General Jackson, I have come here to talk to you about my office.” Van Rensselaer said once he had the president alone. “The politicians want to take it away from me, and they know I have nothing else to live upon.”

     Accustomed to such pleas and committed to his course, Jackson said nothing. Desperate Van Rensselaer moved to strip off his own clothes.

     “What in heaven’s name are you going to do?” Jackson said. “Why do you take off your coat here?”

     “Well sir, I am going to show you my wounds, which I received in fighting for my country against the English!”

     “Put it on at once sir!” Jackson said. “I am surprised that a man of your age should make such an exhibition of himself.” Still, recalled Benjamin Poore, a journalist who recorded the story, “the eyes of the iron President were suffused with tears.” Van Rensselaer took his leave.

     The image of the scarred old man stayed in Jackson’s mind overnight. “The next day Messrs. Van Buren and Wright called at the White House and were shown into the President’s room, where they found him smoking a clay pipe.” Apparently unaware of Von Rensselaer’s preemptive strike the previous evening, Wright began to make the case for sacking him. Jackson “sprang to his feet, flung his pipe into the fire,” and virtually roared at his two friends.

     “I take the consequences, sir; I take the consequences,” Jackson said, “By the Eternal! I will not remove the old man – I cannot remove him. Why, Mr. Wright, do you not know that he carries more than a pound of British lead in his body?” The postmaster was safe.

The scars made all of the difference.

Merry Christmas from the Clingan Family

Decision Points by George W. Bush

     I like George W. Bush. I voted for him twice for president of the United States. I was privileged to host him in the spring of 2000 in Jackson, Mississippi when he was running for president. I was impressed with him then and my respect for him has only grown after reading this book. Of course, there were many decisions of his I did not agree, but I am always thankful for any president who makes the tough decisions on behalf of all of us. Naturally, I anticipated his book and I was not disappointed.
     I have been a bibliophile for as long as I can remember. I especially enjoy political biographies. The first “adult” book I can remember reading as an older child was Plain Speaking, an oral biography of Harry S. Truman. I remember the plethora of books that were published after the Watergate crisis. I devoured All the President’s Men by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, I was fascinated by G. Gordon Liddy’s Will and forever changed by Charles Colson’s Born Again. All of these and more almost made me thankful for Watergate.

     It was in this spirit of love of political books that I anticipated reading Decision Points by President Bush. Now, unlike previous generations, we have the ability to have a political book in front of us much nearer to the actual events themselves. I was mildly surprised at how much information survived the inevitable classified intelligence scrubbing and I was impressed on how candid he was about world leaders and the men and women who served him.

     Decisions Points is not an autobiography but rather a collection of the stories surrounding some of the most important decisions made by President Bush. It is his desire to give the reader a glimpse of some of the details leading to these important decisions.

Instead of giving a typical book review, I would like to list several of the impressions and anecdotes I take away from reading this book.

•   The Personal Details of His Biographical Information

The first chapter, Quitting, only comprises 23 of the 481 pages of the book, yet it contains many interesting biographical details and several very humorous stories. It is impressive that President Bush describes a decision he made long before his Presidency as the primary decision. The decision to “quit” drinking alcohol on his fortieth birthday is foundational to understanding the person and the man who served as president for eight years. All other decisions are a manifestation of the character revealed in this decision. The spiritual nature of this decision and some of the humorous details that accompany it make this chapter some of the most interesting reading in the book.
 

• Some People are More Qualified to be President than Others

In reading this book one gets the overall impression that a quality family background and some of America’s best educational opportunities provides great qualifications to be president. I know that speaks of elitism and many of our great presidents (most notably, Abraham Lincoln) did not have the opportunity of a good family background or excellent education, yet I have come to see the values in these twin pillars of preparation for public service. George W. Bush possessed an excellent foundation in both and coupled with his common sense Texas roots, it uniquely qualified him to be president.

America abhors a ruling class of elites. Family background and education are wisely not included in our Constitution as requirements for the office of President. One of my favorite evangelists of a former era was fond of saying about marriage, “Staying with the same woman will not get a man to heaven, but it sure gives him a tailwind in the right direction.” I come away from this book with the same impression about family and educational background as beneficial for positions of leadership in our nation. It does not qualify you alone to be an effective president, but it sure gives you a head start on the competition.

The Sleeping Saint in a Storm Tossed World

Our pulpit series at the Church at Trophy Lakes this summer is an exposition of the Book of Jonah. Having been through this book several times before, I have asked God for fresh insights and revelation that would be specifically applicable to our fellowship at this time. He has not disappointed me. I have enjoyed the standard classic commentaries on Jonah but have been especially blessed by a reading of an old copy of R.T. Kendall’s thorough treatment of Jonah. His book reflects the theological acumen of an educated professor but the clarity and application of a pastor. His book is a compilation of the first series of messages he delivered at the beginning of his very fruitful tenure as shepherd of the historic Westminster chapel. I have also enjoyed reading the nineteenth century Scottish pastor, Hugh Martin (1821-1885). His Exposition of Jonah has enjoyed several reprints.

I was particularly moved by his comments on the disobedient Jonah who had gone down in the ship and was fast asleep even while the storm that threatened the ship and mariners raged. Listen to Martin describe Jonah and all believers who think they have escaped God’s assignments for their life:

Ah! Beware of disobediences like these, stroke upon stroke. You may think you gain your end; but the Lord has you in His hand, and never more so than precisely when you think you have succeeded. You may resolve to disobey; you may rise up and flee; you may find your way to Joppa; you may find the ship ready there; you may find the mariners make no objection to your company, and are ready to receive the fare. You may crown all, and think the day is gained, when you go down into the ship. How successful has your scheme been! Not a single step in it has been misgiven. The whole project thrives. Jonah is, “gone down into the sides of the ship,” and after the weary conflict in His spirit, and the weary flight to Joppa, he is quiet at last, and “fast asleep.” You think it is all right now, and your plan is safe and your project sure. The last move has been all that you could wish it to be.

Yes; but that last move is your move into the very prison in which God holds you now under lock and key, and will hold you, till He either cast you out for execution, or bring you to repentance.

Not exactly a power of positive thinking thought or typical example of the gospel lite found in many sermons today. Yet, Martin’s description of a sovereign God is a sobering and worthy thought about the God of Jonah. God is revealed in Jonah as the sovereign supreme ruler who orchestrates even the smallest details in order to accomplish His will and bring Glory to His name. He is a God who is “a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, one who relents from doing harm.”

The God of Jonah is not a safe God. You want Him to speak? He will and you might be scared to death at what He commands you to do. You want to run away from Him? Get ready to be pursued by a God who has infinite supply of resources to employ in catching you. You want to draw back and become a spectator? Get ready to be confronted with questions that will expose your soul. In the process remember the good news: God only pursues what He values.

I am glad that my faith is not predictable, safe and routine and that God will awaken me from my desire to make it such. After all a storm is raging and people need to turn from their idols and worship Him. He alone deserves it.

A Few Of My Favorite (Old) Books

I have been an avid bibliophile and voracious reader for as long as I can remember. I still remember when I entered the third grade, my librarian Mrs. Pace, gave each of us the privilege to check out two books at a time (I quickly talked her into a special dispensation for three!). I read everything but especially loved biographies. The Wright Brothers, Walt Disney and all the presidents were my favorites. Through the years I have amassed quite a library. With the help of loyal assistants through the years I have been able to index and computerize my theological library.

In my journeys overseas I have collected a small group of about 200 rare books. I call them rare not as an expert but because of their uniqueness and age. The picture is of a few of my favorites.

An Alarm to Unconverted Sinners by Joseph Alleine

Joseph Alleine (1634-1668) was an English Puritan Nonconformist scholar and pastor. This is one of the great evangelistic works produced in church history. Reading it makes you understand just how we have dumbed down “the plan of salvation” in our day. My copy is an 1816 edition. This book is still in print in modern versions.

John Hus by A. H. Wratislaw

Called a “pre-reformer” by many historians, Hus (c.1372-1415) was a common man that was influenced by the great John Wycliffe of Oxford. Once he fully realized the truth of the Gospel he also came to see the abuses of the established church. His trial and subsequent martyrdom is both a chilling tale of how the so called modern church can abuse its power and a courageous story of a principled pastor who refused to compromise the Gospel. My copy of his life is by A.H. Wratislaw and is an 1882 edition. While this particular work is out of print it is available on Google books. Several good biographies of Hus are currently available and should be read by all thoughtful believers. There is a well worn statue of John Hus in the town square of Prague in the Czech Republic today.

D’Aubigne’s History of the Reformation

Jean Henri Merle D’Aubigne (1794-1872) was born in Geneva to a pious Huguenot family. He resolved at the early age of 23 to write a history of the Reformation that emphasized the truly religious significance of Martin Luther and the Reformation. “I want this history to be truly Christian,” he wrote, “and to give a proper impulse to the religious spirit.” He would spend his entire life in the research and writing of the reformation. My copy is an 1846 edition printed in five volumes. It is available in reprint and on various internet sites.

Book of Common Prayer

I have an 1848 edition of the Book of Common Prayer for the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. This edition was published by The Bishop White Prayer Book Society in Philadelphia. This society is named after the first chaplain of the Continental Congress, William White. Two-thirds of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were Episcopalians.

The Sword and the Trowel 1870

I have spent the good part of my ministerial life enjoying and studying the life and works of Charles Haddon Spurgeon. I once had a memorable experience at his tomb in Norwood Cemetery in London. This picture contains two of my favorite Spurgeon books. The Sword and the Trowel was the compilation of his voluminous materials which were published in his monthly magazine from its inception in 1865 to many years after his death in 1892. Passmore and Alabaster were Mr. Spurgeon’s publishers and this original volume is a collection of all magazines published in the year 1870. There is nothing better than reading Spurgeon.

The Present Truth by C.H. Spurgeon

In 1883 Passmore & Alabaster published this book that contained messages preached at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, on Sunday evenings and Thursday evenings. These were messages that had not been included in the widely distributed Sunday morning messages that were distributed for one penny and now have been collected in the Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit volumes. This is a beautiful original volume with a cover unlike anything published today.

To the Golden Shore The Life of Adoniram Judson by Courtney Anderson

This book is not old and it is not rare having been written in the 1950’s. However, it sits on my rare shelf because if I was banished to that proverbial island it is the one book besides my Bible that I would take. I originally read this book in a missions class in seminary and was so profoundly changed by it, I have re-read it several times including reading it to my children when they were little. Mr. Anderson’s unique style of writing coupled with the phenomenal story of the first Baptist missionary from American soil makes this book unforgettable. I encourage everyone to read it especially since it is widely available in paperback form.

Lives of the Three Mrs. Judsons by Arabella M. Willson (Stuart)

This is an 1855 original edition of this classic work concentrating on the three wives of the great missionary. The drawings in this book of Ann and Emily (The drawing of Sarah has been sadly removed) are priceless.

Just a few books from my collection.

Dr. Bobby Atkins

Bobby Atkins and I have been friends for almost 28 years. We both experienced dramatic conversions to Christ about one month apart. We both went to the same Bible College in Dallas, Texas; we have preached in each others churches throughout our ministry. We have traveled around the world together on mission assignments. We have been in Israel, India, Africa and Brazil together. The above picture was taken before we went on our first oversea mission trip to Brazil in May of 1983. A lot less hair later and for me a lot more weight later we still are the best of friends.

This past Sunday, on the invitation of his wife Marie, I surprised Bobby by showing up at his church in Atlanta for a surprise 25th anniversary celebration of his ministry. Marie and their children and the congregation of Truth Tabernacle of Praise outdid their selves in presenting Bobby with an almost three hour long service of songs, banners, testimonies, a love offering and a special tribute by his children. I was instructed not to preach but tell as many embarrassing stories as I could on their beloved pastor. It was hard to narrow them down to fit my time slot. I told of Bobby using his negotiating skills in Brazil to secure us a deal, his upgrading skills to get a “special” room in Israel and our unique swimming experience in Jerusalem (I cannot believe I told that one!). I told of the time we were almost martyred in India (that one was not funny) and of the many times I witnessed God use Bobby Atkins around the world.

The Bible says a friend is born for adversity. The longer we live the more we realize how few and precious true friends we have on this earth. Bobby has been my friend in the good times and the difficult times. His wisdom and godly advice have saved me many times. I am thankful to be his friend. Congratulations Bobby on 25 years of ministry. I pray that the next season will be even more blessed so that your latter days are more productive and fruitful than your former.

Neil Cameron Graham 1952-2008

On Saturday January 12, I was in the hospital room with Neil when his courageous battle with cancer ended with total victory as he entered the presence of his Lord. Neil Graham was one of my best friends. He and his wife Karla were the first couple to join the church in Trophy Club on my first Sunday. When I finally decided to pursue one of my personal dreams of beginning Destiny International, Neil Graham was one of my biggest encouragers. He was a Dream Mate in every sense of the word. He and I spent countless hours at Starbucks, in my office or driving around in his truck talking, laughing and dreaming about ways to change the world.

A Strong and Courageous Man

I told the people gathered for a memorial service on Sunday night in Trophy Club that Neil Graham was the strongest and most courageous man I have ever met. He was strong physically. Looking at his picture as a young Marine serving our country in Vietnam, I certainly would not want to be the enemy facing him on the battlefield. He fought very bravely for his country serving in countless dangerous situations in special operations. What is most amazing is that about two years ago with chemotherapy drugs in his body he bench pressed 538 pounds three times at a local gym! That is not a misprint. 538 pounds! He was working for the State record for men over fifty when the cancer forced him to stop. He was a man’s man. He was my friend.

Neal’s testimony that he shared at our Date with Destiny conferences was how Jesus moved from his head to his heart. He had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I have wept and grieved all weekend over how much I will miss my friend but I do not sorrow as one with no hope (1Thessalonians 4:13). I believe in the Gospel as Neil did and expectantly look forward to a reunion one day.

Please pray for Karla and his daughter Cameron, stepdaughters Dawn and Chrissy, his Father and his beloved sisters Vivian, Nell and Paula. I will travel with the family this weekend for funeral services in Lumberton, North Carolina.

Merry Christmas from the Clingans

It was good to have all of my children present for Christmas. Jacob joined us from Knoxville where he is a Sophomore at THE University of Tennessee. Jordan is Junior in High School and has a new job as a lifeguard for an indoor water park in the frigid cold winter in Dallas. Jessie Kate is a beautiful and smart seventh grader. Joy is the happiest and most fun first grader to be around in the whole world. Of course Eli is our little pet rat with legs.

They all join Amy and I in wishing you a Merry Christmas and a very prosperous New Year!

I Am Alive and Well

Following the Date with Destiny Conference in Jackson, Mississippi in August of 2007 I intended to take a few weeks off from the BarryClingan.org website and Bishop's Blog. Those few weeks turned into several months!

Although I have been away from the computer, I have not been away from life. These past few months have been very eventful to say the least. As always in the midst of a very frantic pace to life (chronos) there are many special moments (kairos) that make the journey so exciting.

For all of you who have written me emails and cards wondering when I will be posting again or if I am even still alive I say with the not so original words, "The reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated!"

Lots to come, stay tuned and stay in touch.

A Date with Destiny Jackson 2007 – Recap

I am sitting at home on Sunday afternoon and thanking God for the blessing that was A Date with Destiny Jackson 2007. One day the temperature soared to an all time record high 106 degrees! When the breaker kicked off in one our meetings and the air conditioning stopped flowing, I thought I was preaching in an old fashioned outdoor tent revival rather than the comfort of a Marriott convention hall. What a great time we experienced together.

I am thankful for the fellowship. Fellowship is a word we throw around too loosely as believers. But the times we spent renewing relationships, encouraging one another and simply catching up with what has been going on in each others lives always makes for one of the highlights of these meetings. My only regret is that we have so little time to genuinely spend talking one on one with each other. I hope we have more opportunities soon.

I am thankful for the worship. Jon Bunn did an excellent job of leading us each session with exuberant praise and meaningful worship of our Lord. I am thankful for the worship team of volunteers who sacrificially invested their time and played their instruments and sang from the hearts.

I am thankful for the preaching from God’s Word – It truly is only God’s unchanging Word that changes our lives. Pastor Scott Camp spoke to us from his heart and demonstrated his gifting as an Evangelist to speak clearly, simply and boldly to us to know what the will of the Lord is for our life. I remember most his simple statement about how so many believers today refuse to come under any pastoral leadership and yet wonder why God does not bless them. Two great messages were delivered from this gifted servant of God.

Dr. Jack Taylor blessed us by allowing his beautiful wife Frieda to bless us in her native German tongue as well as encourage us with some insightful words. Dr. Taylor preached twice. Every time he speaks God opens another window of heaven and gives me more light on the kingdom of God. His classic statement made with a countenance of exasperation was, “He is the creator of it all and the modern church is obsessed with making Him RELEVANT to His own universe, what is wrong with us?” I am thankful to have such a spiritual father in my life.

I spoke three times. I spoke on how God can give you a personal date with destiny from Moses’ experience with God at the burning bush. I taught Friday morning on the evidences of experiencing the fullness of the Spirit. Friday night I spoke about how to make your God-given dream a reality from Habakkuk 2.

All of the conference messages are available on CD in a conference package. They will be available through the store on my web site in the next few days.

To all of those who made this event possible by providing sound equipment, organizing the details, managing the book table and every thing else, I am thankful for you today. Look for an announcement coming soon about a new conference scheduled in Texas.

A Date with Destiny Jackson 2007 – Dr. Jack Taylor

I am thrilled that Dr. Jack Taylor will be with us for our Date with Destiny Conference in Jackson, Mississippi on August 16-17. There are only a few people who have had as much influence on my ministry as Jack Taylor. For years he mentored me through his teaching and his books. We became friends when he came to the church I pastored in Jackson, MS for a Bible Conference. We called it a Bible Conference but it actually became a revival. In that meeting we experienced the beginning of a spiritual awakening that would touch us for over five years. During that time thousands were added to the kingdom as we ministered under an open heaven. It all began with the ministry of Dr. Jack Taylor.

I find myself quoting him often in my messages. He was the one who taught me to allow God to perform an “offendectomy” on me. He was the one who prayed sincerely for me to “be protected from my own anointing!” He was the man who prayed for me and I was healed of a heart related health problem. Jack Taylor has a large influence on me and many others. I am looking forward to hearing him again this week.

All of the conference information can be found at www.BarryClingan.org

Date with Destiny Jackson 2007 – Pastor Scott Camp

We are privileged to have as a special guest at our Date with Destiny Conference this week, August 16-17, Pastor Scott Camp. Scott currently serves as the Senior Pastor of the Fellowship of Joy in Arlington, Texas. This is a church he founded several years ago and now is quickly approaching over a thousand each week in attendance. This is the third church that he has led that has grown rapidly. Scott is pastor with very strong evangelistic gifts. He is much in demand around the country as a revival and evangelistic crusade leader. God blesses him with many conversions at each of his meetings.

The greatest thing about Scott Camp to me personally, is simply the fact, that he is my friend. Scott and I regularly meet on Fridays for lunch and share a relationship of accountability. He speaks into my life and on more than one occasion God has used his counsel to help me make important decisions. I must also say that Scott Camp is one of the best preachers of the Gospel I know. I listen to all of his messages and I heard him preach one of the greatest sermons I have ever heard on the Blood of Jesus Christ. I promise you will be blessed to hear and get to know this great man of God.

All of the details of the Date with Destiny conference are available at http://www.barryclingan.org/

Tomorrow: An introduction to the incomparable evangelist, Jack Taylor.

A Date with Destiny Jackson 07

We are one week away from A Date with Destiny in Jackson, Mississippi. We will be meeting at the Marriott Harvey Hotel and Conference Center in downtown Jackson. The proposed schedule is:

Thursday Night August 16
7:00 p.m. Scott Camp and Barry Clingan

Friday Morning August 17
9:00 a.m. Scott Camp, Barry Clingan and Jack Taylor

Friday Night August 17
7:00 p.m. Jack Taylor and Barry Clingan

Of course, except for the starting times, we will be sensitive to the Spirit’s direction about everything else. In the next few days I will write an entry about our special guests and other information as we lead up to the conference.

I have learned through the years that there is a direct correlation between the enemy’s attacks leading up to a ministry event and the level of spiritual power and breakthrough the meeting will experience. I am confident and full of expectation that this will truly be a date with destiny for everyone that attends. Get ready for real spiritual renewal!

Go to www.BarryClingan.org for all the information. You can view a copy of the brochure and you can register as well.

More soon!.

The Best Show on Television

When the television is on at our house it is usually sports and news with an occasional cooking show. While watching my favorite sport program (PTI with Wilbon and Kornheiser), I heard mention of a new reality show with NBA mega star Shaquille O’Neal and a group of overweight kids. Shaq selected six overweight middle school students for a special challenge of achieving better physical fitness by losing weight. The show is called Shaq’s Big Challenge and is on ABC Tuesday nights 8/7c.

This is why I think it is the best show on television:

1. Shaquille O’Neal – This guy has proven that his heart is as big as his impressive seven foot plus stature. Shaq takes a semi trailer full of toys into the projects every year at Christmas and plays Shaq O’Claus. If every athlete would use his time and resources like Shaq then the world would be a better place. I live in Dallas and I am a huge Dallas Mavericks fan. Unless He is playing the Mavericks I am pulling for Shaq. I do not know about Shaq’s faith. His mother is a Baptist and his step-father is a Muslim, but there is something about this guy that makes you like him even if you only know him from television.

2. The Positive Message of Encouragement – My favorite kid on this program is Walter. When Shaq visited Walter’s house to sign him up for the program, Walter was playing video games and would not even get out of his seat to answer the door. One of the first tests was to get the gang of obese kids to take the presidential fitness test. None of them passed. When they were asked to run a mile, Walter was still on the track after all the others had finished. Shaq told all of the other kids to go out and get behind Walter and cheer him on to the finish line. When Walter finished he was exhausted but had a huge grin on his face and said, “No one has ever cheered for me for anything in my entire life, it felt good.” Shaq has consistently encouraged Walter and it is so exciting to see his entire personality transforming in front of your eyes.

3. America’s Obesity Problem – Shaq has a passion for the overweight kids in America. The facts are staggering. One out of every six young people is obese, many of them morbidly obese. This is the first generation of young people who because of obesity related problems will not be expected to live as long as their parents. Shaq exposes and offers solutions to the all too often unhealthy school lunches and what is usually a joke of a physical education class at school, if it even exists.

America has an obesity problem. Just this week a John Hopkins study was released that reported that 75% of all Americans will be overweight and 41% will be classified as obese by the year 2015 if we do not change. Shaquille O’Neal is doing something about this problem.

My Favorite View in the Whole World

I have traveled around the world but I have yet to find a spot I like more than the Caribbean Island of Sint Maarten/St. Martin. Amy and I have enjoyed some genuine relaxation the few times we have been able to come to this island.

It is the smallest landmass in the world that is shared by two nations. The Dutch and the French bring something unusual to this small Caribbean island. The food is great, the sunset over Grand Case spectacular and the beach is the best in the world as far as I am concerned.

I am thankful for a few days of rest and renewal in my favorite place with my favorite view and of course with my favorite person.

The American Revolution and my Family

The above picture is of my ancestor, William Clingan (1721-1790). He was one of the founding fathers of our country. He was a member of the Continental Congress and was a signer of The Articles of Confederation for the United States as a representative from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He served alongside Benjamin Franklin, also from Pennsylvania.

I am a seventh generation American. My roots are Scotch-Irish. My great (x7) grandfather, George Clingan immigrated to this country from Ireland. He was one of three brothers who came to this country with their Presbyterian pastor, The Rev. John Roan.

A Memorable Fourth of July
In the summer of 2000 I took my family to Washington D.C. for the Fourth of July. It was one of our most memorable family trips. We traveled up into Lancaster, Pennsylvania and found the grave site of the above William Clingan. We also discovered the Donegal Presbyterian Church which was founded in the early 1700’s and was home to many of my early ancestors. We were surprised to find the church is still very much alive today. The current pastor of the church gave us an extended tour and a history lesson we would never forget. He showed us an early drawing of the layout of the sanctuary and I was glad to see the Clingans paid their tithes and thus owned a pew.

The Witness Tree
It seems that in September of 1777 Lord Howe invaded Pennsylvania and the word was traveling quickly by horseback through each township to muster the militia. The Revolution had come to Pennsylvania. The story goes that when the messengers arrived at the Donegal Presbyterian Church, services were in progress. The congregation quickly assembled outside and gathered around an oak tree at the front of the church. The current pastor had offered prayers each Sunday for the King and the people knew his inclinations were toward the British. The assembled church told their pastor it was decision time. He quickly and wholeheartedly joined them. The church gathered around the tree, held hands and vowed allegiance to the Patriot cause. Thus the tree would be known as the “Witness Tree.”

The huge oak tree stood in front of this church for 260 years until it succumbed to drought and old age and was taken down in 1991. All that was left was this giant stump and several seedlings that the current pastor hoped would survive. I set my camcorder on a nearby fence and made my family stand around the tree holding hands just like our ancestors and together we confessed we would be spiritual patriots for the cause of Christ and our country on that very hot afternoon in July of 2000.