bleeding heart

How else but through a broken heart may Lord Christ enter in?
--Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) Irish writer.

autumn road

Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid.
--Frederick Buechner (1926-2022)

Above: Autumn Road near the Nolichucky River, Erwin, TN.

wonder

Wonder is the basis of worship.  

--Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) Scottish Historian and Essayist.   

the strongest force

Love is the strongest force the world possesses, and yet it is the humblest imaginable.  
--Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) Indian Philosopher.

Above: Linville Falls

winding road

Life is a winding road with unknown perils and troubles, but we can be certain of God's providence, security, and care. 
--Marvin Williams

Above: Autumn colors beginning to show on Unaka Mountain.

Remembering Fred Craddock

"If you're wanting me to give a name to the way you feel I would say that you are searching for God. I know you're not surprised by that word because the whole human race is searching for God. It is the one common quest we all have. With some people it comes, it goes, it rises and falls, it haunts the edges of their minds all the time. With some it's as quiet a quest as a monastery, but with others, like a clap of thunder, dramatic and loud and cataclysmic. But for all of us it's the same; sometimes clear, sometimes very vague and ill defined, but even so, it's there.... 

If you are asking me how to find peace of mind, I would say to you: Let God find you. After all you're not the only one searching. You're searching for God, that's true, but God is searching for you. That is also true. 

When our parents, Adam and Eve, left the garden of Eden, God whispered in their ear, 'I will come for you.' They didn't understand that as a promise; they thought it was a threat and so they ran. And they've been running ever since, hiding in the midst of tears, hiding under running laughter, hiding in shopping sprees, hiding in travel, hiding in the upward spiral of strength and power, hiding in bad relationships. Sometimes even hiding in churches. ... Let God find you. ... 

[T]he life you seek is not in knowing but in being known, not in seeking but in being sought, not in finding but in being found."

--Dr. Fred Craddock (1928-2015) Minister, Professor and Author (From his sermon, "Seek and You Shall be Found").

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I never met him. Never attended his church in Georgia, but I've been profoundly influenced by his work. Hardly a week goes by that a story or a lesson from him isn't called to mind. When I go for long drives, I often will listen to a sermon or two of his. Dr. Fred Craddock has influenced two generations of Christian ministers with his work and writings, and will no doubt continue to do so for years to come. His books on preaching remain required reading in seminaries. He didn't fill stadiums or have prime time TV specials or meetings with heads of state. He didn't lead a mega church or a worldwide movement. He preached. He taught. He wrote. Though only 5'5", he was a giant. The power of his influence was in his quiet example, his humble living, his serious scholarship and in his powerful stories. His sermons were profound and simple, eloquent and folksy, hilarious and touching. You'd be hard pressed to find any sermon of his that followed the typical 'three point' sermon. No, he respected his audience and his craft more than that. His sermons pulled you in, and made you wrestle with faith and scripture. His most effective method was to tell stories. Funny stories, serious stories, sometimes strange stories. People will forget the bullet points, but tell them a story and now your message has a handle that people can grab hold of and carry with them.  You didn't get a lot of 'The five steps to effective ministry or to a successful marriage or to find happiness.'  The advice and admonition were there, but he didn't brow beat or bible thump. It wasn't a laundry list of imperatives, oughts, musts and shoulds. Weaving scripture and story, Craddock led his listener to the edge of conclusion, but didn't force it. He trusted that his listener would reflect, wrestle and make application, and that in that space, the Holy Spirit would work and speak and intercede.

Here's a sermon of his from back in 1986, "Though One Rise from the Dead." (Luke 16:19-31)

The next video is a good demonstration of how he could take a seemingly boring list of names from scripture (Romans 16) and bring it to life.

Here's another one, delivered late in his life in 2011, in which he gives advice on sharing one's faith, "Tell It".

Here's one even more recent, a reflection on "The God of Hope."

Finally, here's a wonderful article written about Dr. Craddock soon after his retirement from full time preaching in October of 2011.

Rest in peace, Dr. Craddock. You will be missed.


Photo Above: The Appalachian Trail on Roan Mountain after a snow.

stormy weather

Faith is not a delicate flower which would wither away under the slightest stormy weather. 
--Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) Indian Philosopher.

I haven't gotten out much to shoot lately, so I'm looking through my autumn shots from this fall for photos to share. Two of the prime weekends for fall color this October were stormy. So I have a lot of rainy, misty shots this autumn. At the time I took the shot above, there was a steady drizzle of rain, and I had had it. Hiking in the rain, keeping the camera dry and the lens free of rain drops (while holding a dog on a leash) ... not much fun! But shooting in these conditions can often make for some interesting shots in spite of the frustrations.

The photo on the left shows an old boat ramp entering the western end of lake near Hampton, TN. It makes me wonder where the roads used to be before the lake was completed by the TVA in 1948. Who knows, maybe this was an old road bed that led to the old town of Butler?  I haven't seen any old, 'pre-Watauga Lake' road maps of the area. There is a nice Butler museum in the new town of Butler, TN which is worth checking out if you're ever out that way (open seasonally). It tells the interesting history of the town and the people displaced by the lake.

Glory Glory

A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.  
--C. S. Lewis (1898-1963) author and theologian.

A gorgeous weekend...great to see the colors staying around so long this fall. :)

joy

Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls. 
--Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997) Roman Catholic Missionary.

This is my friend Michael Kaal fishing in the Watauga River back in 2010. Since then, Michael, through his hard work, dedication to clients and his eye for beauty, has quickly established himself as one of the very best wedding photographers in our region. Check out his website and his Facebook page to see his work.

Happy Mother's Day

Be a living expression of God's kindness. 
--Mother Teresa (1910-1998).

Happy Mother's Day to my mom, the living expression in my life of God's kindness. Hope you have a wonderful day!

connections

Since you cannot do good to all, you are to pay special attention to those who, by the accidents of time, or place, or circumstances, are brought into closer connection with you.
--Saint Augustine (354-430) bishop and theologian.

Above: Butler Bridge, built in 1948.

a chilling look

It is not fitting, when one is in God's service, to have a gloomy face or a chilling look.  
--St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) Catholic friar. 

The top photo sums up my visit to Jones Falls yesterday. It was chilly, misty, windy and sunny. Not the best of conditions for waterfall photography. The spray of the waterfall made it nearly impossible to get a clean shot of the top of the falls. But the view from down below this 100-foot free-falling-cascading waterfall was impressive. Jones Falls is found along the Appalachian Trail on the Tennessee side of the NC/TN border. Those visiting nearby Elk River Falls should consider hiking up to Jones -- even under rough conditions, it's a beautiful sight to see. For directions and more photos and discussion, click here.

simple gifts

A little lifting of the heart suffices; a little remembrance of God, one act of inward worship are prayers which, however short, are nevertheless acceptable to God.
--Brother Lawrence (Nicholas Herman, c. 1605-1691) French monk.

be not afraid

There is much in the world to make us afraid. There is much more in our faith to make us unafraid. 
--Frederick W. Cropp  

Above: Seeger Chapel on the campus of Milligan College.

dusting

Love has a hem to her garment that reaches the very dust. It sweeps the streets and lanes, and because it can, it must. 
--Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997) Albanian born Indian Missionary and Founder of the Order of the Missionaries of Charity. Nobel Prize for Peace in 1979. 

Above: This one is from back in October of 2009 when an early snow dusted the tops of the Southern Appalachians.  Click here for another photo.

fire and music under my feet

By reading the scriptures I am so renewed that all nature seems renewed around me and with me. The sky seems to be a pure, a cooler blue, the trees a deeper green. The whole world is charged with the glory of God and I feel fire and music under my feet.
--Thomas Merton (1915-1968) writer and Trappist monk.  

Above: The Blue Hole, outside of Elizabethton, TN. Not much water flowing, and the leaves still have a ways to go...but still it's such a beautiful, amazing place.

faith, hope and triumph

A man with a grain of faith in God never loses hope, because he ever believes in the ultimate triumph of Truth.  
--Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) Indian Philosopher. 

Above: St. James Episcopal Church in downtown Greeneville, TN, built in 1850.

we are the church together

We all know that a church is not a building.
--Robert H. Schuller (b. 1926) American televangelist, pastor, and author.

After hiking out to Little Rock Knob from Hughes Gap, I drove by Cove Creek Presbyterian Church in Roan Mountain, TN.  It was such a beautiful sight with the rhododendron blooming and the hill in the distance, I had to stop and take a picture.  I can't find any information for the church online, so if anyone knows the history (or can share a link) I'd appreciate it. Next to the church is a large rock-adorned building that says "fellowship hall" on the sign out in front. However, above the door, spelled out in smaller rocks, is "Cove Creek School" with a date (can't quite make it out).  See below.  But in the course of my search, I did come across a fantastic Facebook group for Roan Mountain and Carter County History.

preach it

Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words. 
--St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) Founder of the Franciscan order. 

This unusual looking plant is called "Jack-in-the-Pulpit" and is found in moist, shady areas of the forest.

blessed assurance

When I was young I was sure of everything; in a few years, having been mistaken a thousand times, I was not half so sure of most things as I was before; at present, I am hardly sure of anything but what God has revealed to me. 
--John Wesley (1703-1791) minister and theologian. 

A view of the steeple of Munsey Memorial United Methodist Church in downtown Johnson City, TN, with Buffalo Mountain in the distance.