Obligations, Opportunities, Fundraisers and the Priority
No one appreciates a guilt trip whether they are deserved or not. We have all received our share of these excursions from family, in the workplace or it could even be an unintended consequence of church membership and participation. I am a firm believer that guilt is a very temporary motivator and a most unsatisfying way to fulfill any task. In church activities we are hopefully motivated by none other than the The Holy Spirit, who makes us aware of…
A Sand Castle Parable
We are a family that loves the beach. In the Carolinas you are either a beach person or a mountain person and you have to declare a preference. It could be a state law but don’t take my word for it. The B. Andrew and Kimberly H. Oliver family many years ago declared our allegiance. We are a beach crowd. One of my favorite pastimes on the coast is playing on the beach. This vague recreational designation includes a number…
Koinonia
You can call me spiritually insensitive. You may think I am irreverent. You could even believe that I am unconcerned about spiritual preparation. But I was energized and prepared for worship by the enthusiastic banter and the occasional peal of what I would describe as hysteria or at least unbridled laughter heard on Sunday morning, prior to our sanctuary service. There is a very legitimate school of thought that believes the moment prior to the entrance of choir and worship…
A Valuable Phone Call
I recently established contact with a great friend that I attended school with for twelve years in Gaffney and at least one semester at CCU ( Clemson Christian University). We enjoyed a lengthy discussion as we covered quite a few topics. We talked about our wives and families. It was a joy hearing about spouses and the accomplishments of our children. Career paths were discussed. Mark was the strength coach for the Utah Jazz and I used my association with…
A Christian Greeting Suggestion
In Second Corinthians, Chapter 13, verse 12, Paul exhorts those in the Corinthian congregation to, “Greet one another with a Holy Kiss”. In today’s culture, expressions of affection can be misinterpreted , awkward, and sometimes even illegal. We are in a day and age where caution is a sound decision when evaluating “touchy” situations. It’s particularly difficult for me and I am sure others who are apt to side hugs, put an arm around a shoulder or slap a back.…
Heated Questions
I am giving the current weather conditions and, I guess, Thee One who controls the climate, none other than the Almighty God, a heads up… As if he doesn’t already know my feelings. It is getting to the point where I may start complaining about the heat. I, the most Rev. B. Andrew Oliver, am a man of principle and one of my beliefs is: Never complain about the heat because January is coming! But it’s October and I am…
Service With A Smile
My friend Richard was being recruited about 100 years ago by my college alma mater. He was a rather gifted athlete and the football team wanted to get to know some of the talent pool. The weekend event was basically a sales pitch, complete with meals and a variety of gatherings and Richard was allowed to bring buddies. He did not need to convince me that I needed to go with him when he asked. Free meals, hobnobbing with coaches,…
You Can Not Do It All
Take the time to read the inspired words of Paul in 1st Corinthians 12 this week. You will find that he informs the Roman Church and the church today about unity and giftedness in the church and in the process, confirms that…you can’t do it all. At one point in my life I was convinced I could, that was until my wife shared with me that this was not possible in a marriage that involved her and when my kids…
God Will Prevail
I was going to write concerning another topic until I typed in the date of today’s newsletter offering….9/11. Most of us remember where we were and what we were doing on that date, back in 2001. I was Minister of Youth at Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church at the time and our church secretary was our own, Christa Harmon’s mother, Peggie Williamson. She brought a small TV from her home and was watching it. This was quite unusual for her because…
An Old Dawg Learns
It took me a couple of years before consenting to participate in speech therapy. At first, I did not want to admit I needed it. I just needed to read a book or pray real hard and I would soon become the new 2020 version of Billy Graham. I had convinced myself that I was an old dawg unable to learn new tricks and that the aforementioned therapy would consist of gimmicks, tricks, and shortcuts that could be used to…