When JFK Died, Things Changed
Where were you when JFK died? On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. It is amazing how my memory awakens concerning that season in American life. When JFK died…
I was in the second grade
I had just turned eight years old and was in the second grade when we were informed of the assassination of President Kennedy. Television captivated those moments before our eyes. For days, until the President was buried, it seemed America came to a complete stop. I remember watching our black and white television non-stop – or as much as the event could be covered.
My generation was shaped
Just as my children’s generation has been shaped by the events of September 11, 2001, my generation was shaped by the stunning death of our President in 1963. Looking back, it still seems surreal. Can you believe it? Our President was shot to death on the streets of the great city of Dallas, Texas.
Journalist Peggy Noonan writes in the Wall Street Journal article “Why We Still Talk About JFK”:
We still talk about JFK and his death because the biggest generation in all U.S. History, that part of the population known as the baby boomers, watched it all, live, on that new thing called TV, and it entered our heads and never left. It was the first central historical fact of our lives, so we still read about it, think about it, and watch anything to do with it.
Yes, my generation was shaped by the death of this President. I am still captivated and continue to read about it to this day.
A new future was forged
Through the fire of this tragic loss in American history, a new future began to be forged with the heat of subsequent assassinations, cultural tension in America, racial inequality, and the Vietnam War. Mindsets and ideologies began to change and diversify, causing even more tension in American life.
In the same Wall Street Journal article, Peggy Noonan made a keen observation:
But Camelot isn’t JFK. Camelot is the way we remember America before JFK died. Camelot is the America that existed, for one brief shining moment, before Lee Harvey Oswald began to shoot.
Perhaps my generation and those who came before us are guilty of wanting an America that was existent before the open bloodshed on the streets of Dallas on November 22, 1963.
Life’s tragic moments
Life’s tragic moments that happen to us personally and in our nation do not necessarily have to define us. Often times, they really just expose us. They reach into the depths of our hearts, into the inner sanctum of our being, and squeeze us. At that moment, what is in us comes out.
The way we respond to these tragic moments serves as a reminder of our human weakness and our deep need for God. Whether I am looking back at the events I experienced as an eight year-old in the second grade or as an adult Pastor-Leader in 2001 when 9-11 attacks occurred, I am reminded of the weakness of our humanity and our deep need for God.
Wherever you are today
Wherever you are today in your life, go ahead and admit your weakness as a human being and acknowledge your deep need for God. Often, we act as though nothing can penetrate our callousness, but tragedy always exposes where we really are in life.
Wherever you are and whatever may be before you this week, remember your deep need for God. He is there. He is with you. Yes, He is Emmanuel. God is with us.
Yours for the Great Commission,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
Pastors: How You Can End the Year Faithfully
With the holiday season looming, how can you end the year faithfully? In other words, Pastor, what should your focus be for these last few days of the year? You can lead aimlessly to nowhere or aim purposefully.
I would like to challenge you personally and professionally. Here are some challenges that I believe will help you end the year faithfully.
Personally
I want to challenge you to end the year personally in the highest way possible. How can you do this?
1. Evaluate where you are with God.
Pastor, draw aside to insure all is right with God. Deal with yourself.
Talk to God about your sinfulness and challenges honestly. Practice repentance. Seek fresh empowerment from the Holy Spirit.
2. Examine your relationship with others.
In this hop and shop church culture, relationships can often get messy and misunderstood. As Pastors, we frequently run fast, and usually that is not to our advantage. Therefore, we need to use this season to examine all relationships again. Pastors, do not underestimate the influence of a personal call, email, text message, visit, or even a hand-written personal note. The holiday season is the time of year many of our people are hurting and need a special touch. So pull your troops in closer to you and let them know you need them with you to launch the new year.
3. Elevate your walk with Christ.
Use this season of the year to elevate your walk with Christ. Read more of God’s Word and spend additional time with Him in prayer. Use your personal time with God to begin to pray about what He has before you in the new year, personally and professionally. Spend extra time with God to concentrate on your personal walk with Christ. Be ready personally to launch into the new year in a powerful way.
Professionally
Now that I have suggested four steps to take personally to end the year in the highest realm of faithfulness to God, let me do the same for you professionally. How can you do this?
1. Consider the status of your church spiritually.
Just as you would have your vital signs checked at your annual physical, stop long enough to check the vital signs of your church. Pastor, honestly before God, how is your church doing? Is your church healthy? If it is healthy, how do you know? If your church is not healthy, what will you do about it? Determine to end the year faithfully.
2. Sharpen your leadership for the future.
As a Pastor, once you have considered the status of your church, you should know more about how to lead it. Where will you lead it? What will you lead the church to do? Consider having a demographic study done on your community to understand how to better reach people. If you have already done this, is it time for another study? Are you leading strategically to minister to your community compassionately, all for the purpose of making disciples of all the nations? Sharpen your leadership for the future. If you will do this, you will lead faithfully.
3. Commit yourself to teach the Word of God faithfully.
As the Pastor-Teacher, your highest call is to bring glory to God by teaching and preaching the Word of God accurately and faithfully. This means you have to draw aside to consider what you are going to preach in the year ahead and how you are going to preach it. Will you teach through a book of the Bible, or several books of the Bible? Are you going to deal with subjects like marriage, family, finances, the future, and do it driven by the text of Scripture, leading people to walk in the depths of God’s riches? Or will you do a combination of the above? Whatever you do, commit yourself to teach the Word of God more faithfully than ever before in your ministry.
4. Challenge your church to finish the year with financial faithfulness.
I am convinced that Pastors need to challenge the people of God to finish the year with the highest level of financial faithfulness to God. It is incumbent upon us to do so for the people themselves, but also for the work of the church. A person cannot say they are walking in faithfulness to Jesus without practicing biblical stewardship. As Pastors, we need to step up and challenge God’s people to:
- Honor the Lord with the first ten percent of all God has entrusted to them throughout this year
- Honor the Lord with gifts of generosity above the first ten percent, giving to international missions, church vision specifics, or benevolence.
If we want God’s people to walk with Jesus faithfully, we need to challenge them to be faithful financially.
As the pastor of your fellowship, plan now to finish the year both personally and professionally, with the highest level of faithfulness.
Yours for the Great Commission,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.