SJB At the NCVH...

Here's an excerpt from a post I wrote on my blog about the StillWaters Jazz Band's most recent gig for the excellent fellows at the NC Veterans' Home:

This past Saturday the StillWaters Jazz Band had one of its most fun gigs so far. We got to play at the NC Veterans' Home on the campus of the VA Hospital in Salisbury, NC. None of us really knew what to expect as we began unloading our equipment. We set up in the front lobby of the facility and the crowd began to gather.

Right off the bat we could tell that these guys were different than the groups we had played for so far. They were asking questions and talking to us - genuinely interested in what we were doing and who we were. It didn't take long before our nerves had settled down. In the picture above you can see Justin talking with one of the residents. This particular fellow was really up on his jazz. He related one story about how he had the pleasure of seeing Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and Al Hirt in concert with some other giants of the jazz world back in the late 60s. We were all envious!

Read the rest of the post...

SJB Gig Update

The StillWaters Jazz Band will be playing March 29 from 12:00 Noon to 2:00 PM. The time is a little different than I had reported earlier. Hope to see you there!

Jazz Band Update

StillWaters Jazz Band will most likely be playing at Dixie's on Saturday, March 15th. We still have to work out a couple details, but as soon as I am sure of times, etc. I will be sure to let you know! Hope to see you then!

SJB On The Road

The SJB took it on the road tonight to Troutman's Barbecue in Concord, NC. We played for a great crowd of around 100 folks and got some great feedback.

We are playing this Saturday at Dixie's coffee shop on Main Street in China Grove at 1:00. It will be a great opportunity to see the band and check out one of China Grove's coolest establishments. We will hope to see you there.

The band is getting noticeably better with each performance. That is very gratifying, and the experience has been great for stretching me out of my comfort zone.

At our very first practice I was faced with soloing - something that I had never done before. As you can imagine, I was pretty awful, but Justin and the rest of the guys were very supportive and patient as I began to develop some chops. It has really taught me about not being afraid to try something new and not being afraid to make mistakes.

I guess I still have a ways to go in overcoming this fear. Even tonight as I was getting ready for the concert, I was very nervous, thinking, "I'm not good enough to be playing for folks!" There was a part of me that didn't even want to play. Yet once we got started everyone was great and I played a solo that I felt very good about. Of course there is room for growth, but I am having a blast.

I hope that this will be the beginning of a trend for me to be more bold and adventurous. It is time to put these silly fears in their place and begin to live and enjoy life. Sometimes that will mean messing up publicly, but it is OK. My experience teaches me that no one is perfect - even the ones who look like they are!

Hope to see you Saturday!

What Now?

With the announcement of the untimely demise of the congregation known as StillWaters, perhaps some of our readers wonder what will become of this blog. The answer is simple - it will continue on. This has become my favorite blog. There is no way that I will chloroform it. The sponsorship of the blog will change, and there may be some minor content changes, but this blog is going to continue right along, just as each of the individual members of StillWaters will.

It still remains to be seen what will happen to our little congregation. Will we somehow stick together as a unit in a different church, will we become a mini diaspora spread like seed among the churches of Rowan County, or will we stand together and soldier on as a new congregation in our God-given mission to the people of this area? It would seem that scattering is the most inevitable of these possibilities, and yet there are some among us who really have no interest in being anything else but a congregation. It is going to be interesting to see what happens.

Tomorrow is our last Sunday together as StillWaters. If you are near-by and can join us, I think that it will be a memorable service. We meet at KidSports off of South Main Street in Salisbury, NC. The service will start sometime around 10:30.

Then keep coming here for information about what is happening with our little band, where the StillWaters Jazz Band is playing, where you can find a house meeting, and for the content that you have come to expect on this blog. Thanks for your prayers, and thanks for reading.

Worth Millions in Baseball

In recent days a sports-related item has made the leap to the news pages of papers all across America, and I suspect, Japan. One Mr. Alex Rodriguez has signed a ten-year deal to play (may I stress that a moment?) PLAY baseball for the New York Yankees in return for a mere $305 million dollars. Uh huh, the Steinbrenner boys are willing to shake on this one.

I am a baseball fan.
(except for the five years following the strike in the Nineties)
I am a staunch free-market Capitalist.
("Yeah!" Founding Financial Fathers)
I am more than a little surprised, and scary jealous.

What if I had actually kept playing the game into my adulthood? What might have been the career outcome of my dedication to the art and science of America's pastime? What makes A-Rod worth more per minute than THOUSANDS of teachers... first-responders... single Moms... pastors... and almost everybody else besides plumbers, Union Sanitation Engineers, or global warming-gurus? (Trust me on that last one, friends.)

305 Million U.S. Dollars for ten years comes out to exactly $3,481.73 per hour. That's almost 3500 bucks for every hour Mr Rodriguez breathes for the next 120 months. Asleep. Awake. Visiting friends in the Dominican Republic. All the time. "Ca-Ching!"

Here is a snippet of info from Wikipedia regarding said, A-Rod, "Since 1996 (his first full season) through 2007 he leads the Major Leagues in home runs (HR), runs scored, runs batted in (RBI), total bases and extra-base hits. Of all players in baseball history at age 31, he is first all-time in HR, runs scored and total bases; second in extra base hits and RBI, and 4th in hits. To this point in his career Rodriguez has more HR, RBI, runs scored and more base hits than all-time leaders Hank Aaron (RBI), Barry Bonds (HR), Rickey Henderson (runs scored), and Pete Rose (hits) did prior to their 31st birthdays."

Well, more power to him (since he already has everything else).

Makes me think of other ball players in the "Bigs" who can cash large checks for hitting the ball once every three times they are at bat. Millions. Batting .333 is considered something of the "gold standard" for hitters in the Major Leagues. Did you hear me, MILLIONS for doing something one third of the time your employer / spouse / girlfriend / mother expects you to. Seems like good work if you can get it. Oh, and you get to guest-star on scores of TV shows, too. Then there is the whole "endorsement" genre of stealing, uh, making millions more for eating a certain kind of peanut butter, or smiling as an announcer declares that "A-Rod wears only bio-degradable cleats from Green Weenies Shoes."

One-out-of-three is good, huh?
Well then, the parties StillWaters hosted last evening in Salisbury and Mooresville were hugely successful because over a third of the folks invited from the neighborhoods actually attended! Add to that the many folks who served and supported the outreach events and you are up into the platinum strata of performance. Woo Hoo! Yeah God.

Join everyone who cares about the spiritual and community health of our neighbors by praying for some lasting benefit from the dual events. The intention of each of the hosts and helpers last night was that relationships may be developed and deepened in order that Jesus the Christ might be known and followed by LOTS more of the people near us where we live. Perhaps, due in no small measure to the selfless efforts and prayers of so many StillWaters families, some folks may come to a saving knowledge of the Son of God in the days ahead. What an honor to lift us His Name at this time of the year when He is almost forgotten by the larger community in America, and elsewhere, as shopping and celebrating avarice and excess is rampant.

Gentle reminder people of the world, "It's CHRIST-mas."
Enough said.

This year I will not be buying presents in the volume, at the rate, or to the expense of years gone by. Finances play their part in the decision Carol and I have made, but even more important is the notion of making a difference (for good) in the lives of the folks around us. We hope your hearts are full this Christmas, dear friends. Your participation in the Kirker and StillWater families has certainly caused ours to overflow. Thank you... really.

While Mr. Alex Rodriguez EARNS just under one dollar per second for the next 315,360,000 seconds (no, I am not bitter...) the rest of us Christians may take comfort in the fact that every one of those dollars will remain on earth till they burn, while our redeemed spirits will soar to the heavens to dwell with Jesus in Paradise eternally when we leave this tired old planet.

So, my advice to you is this, "trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved! You and your household."

Oh, and also teach your sons how to throw a baseball 60.5 feet left-handed at about 100 mph.

Both of these are excellent retirement programs.

Like you, I don't think $305 million dollars would change me.

Right.

Funny How Things Work Out

The joint Thanksgiving service at Back Creek Presbyterian Sunday night was once again thoroughly enjoyable. The church building itself is 150 years old this year and the church has been there for over 200 years. The building is beautiful, but the church is far better still!

It is funny, though, how insular we are even as brothers and sisters in Christ. At the start of the service we had to be desegregated from our individual congregations. Self-consciously, we had huddled in our little familiar groups. I am glad Pastor Thrailkill had the courage to shake things up a little at the beginning of the service and force us to mingle. In fact, he did it again right before the fellowship, challenging each of us to sit at a table with someone who wasn't from our church. I met some wonderful people as a result - people that I'll look forward to seeing again. Once again it was proved that we (Christians) ARE all family.

The text for the sermon Sunday night was Psalm 118. It begins and ends, "Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever." What a great place to begin our meditation during this Thanksgiving holiday! It must have been on the Lord's mind, for in my daily Psalm reading in the One Year Bible the past two days has been in Psalm 118. Funny, huh? I wonder if He is trying to tell me something?

Well, seeing how God seems to be speaking this Psalm to His people right now (or at least to me), I plan to make it my meditation this week. I pray that God will help you to reflect on all of the things that you have to be thankful for in the midst of all of the holiday's chaos. Have a wonderful, blessed day of Thanksgiving.

Don't Forget!

NO OASIS SUNDAY NIGHT.

INSTEAD...

Sunday night at 6:30 the area PCA churches are gathering at Back Creek Presbyterian Church for our annual joint Thanksgiving service. (Can you believe Thanksgiving is THURSDAY?) I have enjoyed this gathering each time I have attended. There will be a reception following the service so bring some kind of hors d'oeuvre (that's "finger foods" in the vernacular) to share.

SJB Inaugural Gig: Take Two

Well, you have all been waiting patiently for it and your patience shall be rewarded. The StillWaters Jazz Band will be playing its inaugural gig at the Kirkers' drop in Christmas Party on December 2 from 4:30 to 7:30 (That's how long the party goes - not the band!) Forewarned is forearmed.

Caitlin Did Great!

I was able to go see Pirates of Penzance tonight and thoroughly enjoyed it. Caitlin did a great job and a good time was had by all. I hardly recognized her in that big froofy bow! One more opportunity to see it tomorrow night at 7:30!

Happenings

Please note that there are some changes this week and with our holiday plans!

This week, in lieu of the usual Oasis Diner we will be caravaning over to the Carangelos' home in Mooresville for their decorating party in preparation for the first annual Carangelo Christmas Party. Please note that the time is from 3:30-7:30 instead of the usual 5:30-7:00.

Coming up next Sunday is the annual joint Thanksgiving service between Back Creek Presbyterian, New Hope Presbyterian, and StillWaters. The service is at 6:30 PM at Back Creek Presbyterian. There will be a fellowship afterwards. Please bring finger foods. Click HERE for a map and directions from Kidsports.

On the Sunday after Thanksgiving, the Kirkers are sponsoring their decorating party. The time is from 3:30 - 7:30. Dinner will be provided.

Finally, the big events, yes, EVENTS on December 2. You already know about the Kirkers' drop in party from 4:30-7:30, but the Carangelos have moved their party to the December 2 as well from 5:30-7:30. Please mark your calendars!

It is an exciting time in the life of our church. Please be praying for the success of these events and for our neighbors' hearts to be open to the gospel. Even if you can't host a party this season, be praying about ways that you can serve your neighbors and show them God's love in a very practical and tangible way as we enter the holidays.