Shelby Farms Park covers over 4,500 acres in Memphis, Tennessee making it one of the largest urban parks in the United States. The land has hosted everything from a commune in the 1800s to a penal farm. For fifteen years I have run the roads, trails, woods, and wetlands in baking heat and bitter cold. The stories, rare photos, and never-before-seen videos are mine. You do not need to believe what I am about to tell you, you only need know that I was there. Winter: Deep in the Muddy Woods Somewhere on the Blue/White Trail Sometimes your vision gets narrowed after so many miles. The pounding on…
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Will Tattoos Be in Heaven?
Dateline: Somewhere in Texas, USA I already know the answer to the question. But the first thing I noticed about him was the Nazi symbols tattooed on his skin. A reminder that he had a past. I also noticed the cross symbol on the pocket of his prison uniform. A reminder that he has a future. You are looking at one of the most remarkable pictures you will ever see. Of the eight seminary graduates pictured, five are on the front row (and wearing identical clothes). In fact, a higher percentage of the inmates have graduated from seminary (100%) than the other Christian ministers pictured. Since some have a…
Beaman’s Commentary published through Dr. Spradlin’s efforts
Mid-America publishes Beaman’s Commentary on the Gospel of John The discovery of a commentary written (but never published) by Dr. Roy O. Beaman, longtime seminary professor and New Testament scholar, brings his unique biblical insights to light. Roy Beaman combined the talents of a linguist, a New Testament scholar, and a biblical archaeologist. He was one of the original four faculty members of Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary. His commentary on the Gospel of John was developed for almost four decades and taught repeatedly in churches and in seminary classrooms. Though the manuscript was never published, printed copies were distributed through the years. Beaman’s Commentary on the Gospel of…
The Long March Home
The soldier’s march is long and hard but not because of miles, for he carries a weight that cannot be named. Every wound is not of bullet or bayonet, but often of deeds done and of deeds not done. What do you say when a Christian “leaves the faith?” What commentary exposits the deeper meaning when a pastor decides to abandon Christianity for another religion? Do you dismiss them with the formula that they were never one of us? Do you claim the Proverb that their training will bring them back to us? There is a quiet shame in not knowing whether to rage or repent. Such were…
Child of a lesser god
For why is all around us here As if some lesser god had made the world, But had not force to shape it as he would? Till the High God behold it from beyond, And enter it, and make it beautiful? Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892): Idylls of the King: The Passing of Arthur. Line 13ff. Source I first met Walter on a sultry, southern day with humidity so thick you could feel the wetness on your skin. He was lying in the dirt on the playground amidst a circle of screaming boys, them cheering every time he tried to stand and failed. Every attempt to arise was met…
A Famous Landmark Revisited
Sometimes life can be a field trip. I learned this lesson living in the Northeastern United States where every road seemed to lead to yet another place labeled “Washington slept here.” Being more of a history “opportunist” than an intentional explorer, I love it when I chance upon some place of historic note, however obscure. After preaching recently near Jackson, Tennessee my pastor friend mentioned that I was near the old Cotton Grove Baptist Church site. As a teacher of Baptist history, I knew the reputation of the place well but I had never been there. Of course, my mission was clear–after first concluding the business of the…
Death Was Our Unity: Memphis, Tennessee and the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1878
“Most cases, of whatever nature, were ushered in by a chill, followed by a fever, with a pulse and temperature to which the succeeding phenomena would correspond. The attack was so violent in some cases that death occurred within thirty-six hours.” Dr. Happoldt. Memphis, Tennessee 1878 (Source, p. 46) 1. A Forgotten Treasure A chance discovery by crack-library-director-zen-research-master Terrence Neal Brown has unearthed yet another tome of forgotten woe and heartache: a volume concerning the Great Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1878 that devastated the city of Memphis, Tennessee. Why bring this crumbling relic to my attention? Well, because my interest in all things catastrophic has been well known…
Who Trains the Superheroes?
Special Forces Members May Not Have Super Powers but They Do Have Super Training Imagine for a moment that you are flying in a helicopter. For most of us, that represents an adventure that few will experience. Now add to that: you are strapped in your helicopter seat in a near hurricane, at night, over water, and you are about to crash. What will you do? I have always loved flying and aviation. I got it from my Dad (former Air Force) and he and I could never get enough of airplane models and airshows growing up. In my adult years as a Reserve Army Chaplain, when I found out…
Adrian Rogers: The Case of the Curious Sermon
His first thought came more as a question than an attempt to write a sermon, “Why was this passage in the Bible?” Adrian Rogers loved to quiz me about the latest methods for sermon preparation. Through the years we talked about computers, software programs, etc. and he would laughingly say that they weren’t quite ready to replace his Bible, legal pad, and pen. I don’t pretend to know Adrian’s stated methods for sermon development but I did form an observational opinion through talking with him on the subject. Dr. Rogers combined an insatiable curiosity with a vivid imagination. He was great at preaching the narrative sections of Scripture (the…
Amazing Stories of Adrian Rogers
What I am about to tell you is what I heard, and only that. I have not endeavored to fact-check or verify the words in any way. At the time I heard the stories I was stunned into theological silence. I have learned through the years that I do not need to explain, or explain away, everything that I hear. When you hear the stories you can decide for yourself what you believe. The truth, here, is in the retelling. At lunch one day Dr. Adrian Rogers mentioned to me that he wanted to get some Mid-America preaching students together for some discussion. I gave him my customary response…