First, let me begin by saying that even though I teach English, I do not judge people based on their speech. (I didn’t say I don’t judge; I just do not judge based on speech.) I honestly love to hear the different dialects of English, which can vary widely even within a small region. I make a point to tell my students that when they go home, they are not to correct their grandmothers. For putting up with them, Grandma (Granny, Nona, Yaya or whatever she goes by) has earned the right to say what she thinks however she wishes to say it. In fact, I sometimes use incorrect grammar depending on the context simply because it would sound odd and out of place to do otherwise. In other words, there is grocery store English, the English you use at Winn Dixie or Piggly Wiggly (yes, for those “not from around here,” those are real stores), and then there is job application English, or what we in the business call Formal Standard or Edited English.
And speaking of editing, one of the things I most often find in student papers is a complete and utter lack of understanding of comma use. I do not really know why since commas, just like periods, have rules about when and where they are placed. Yet, students (and my buddy Roger) struggle with commas.
I said I do not know why, but I think I actually do. Students simply do not learn the rules, or at least they do not learn all of them. Instead, they substitute their own willy-nilly rules. So here is my little diatribe about the three NOT comma rules that I have discovered students most often employ.
The emotional comma rule:
Student: “I put a comma there because I felt like it needed one.”
Emotions are generally NOT what you want to use to make any decision. Think about the times in your life when you let your emotions decide for you. Yeah, there you go. So do not place a comma somewhere just because you feel like one is needed.
The artistic comma rule:
Student: “It just looks like it needs a comma there.”
Sorry, but your aesthetic choice for placement of commas is as flawed as the emotional commas. Looks, as the saying goes, can be deceiving. You cannot decide comma placement by looks.
The respiratory comma:
Student: “I put a comma there because I paused and took a breath.”
While this looks like a rule and is related to a reading guideline, this is not how you place commas. Somewhere in your early academic journey, maybe second or third grade, your teacher was helping you learn how to read. Along the way, he or she began to coach you on how to read with feeling and cautioned you to slow down or pause at a comma. But just because you pause at a comma when reading is not the reason it was placed there.
Let me draw an analogy for you. When you drive, you stop at stop signs (or at least you better). But, when you stop do you get out of your car and plant a stop sign in the parking lot, your driveway, etc.? Of course not. In the same way, while you might pause at a comma when reading, you do not put one where you pause when reading what you are writing. You might pause at a different spot than I would because your natural speech pattern is different than mine or maybe because I just climbed a flight of stairs.
Beware of these three rules that are not really rules. Just like periods, commas have rules for their placement. After all, hardly anyone above the first or second grade just places a period where he or she feels like it. They use rules to place periods at the end of a sentence or with an abbreviation.
Just as periods show an end, in English commas generally separate or set off things. Depending on how you slice them, there are about ten comma rules, including using a comma to separate items in a series, using a comma to set off a noun of direct address, using a comma after an introductory element to separate it from the main clause, using commas to separate parts of an addresses or dates.
If you are interested in learning or at least looking at a list of comma rules, since I’m not going to list all of them, here is a source I direct my students to for all kinds of English grammar and writing help: https://owl.purdue.edu/ No, I do not get a royalty for sending you here. I am just doing my part to help you develop some “comma sense.” (Now that’s puny.)
Happy editing!
P.S. There’s a comma usage error in the blog. Did you catch it?
Image: Jesus with His Brothers James and Jude Nicholas S. M. Rizzo, 2024
This is an excerpt from a series on the books of James and Jude that I taught at my church a few years ago. Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture are New English Translation (NET, https://netbible.com/).
1 From James, a slave of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the 12 tribes dispersed abroad. Greetings! (James 1:1)
According to the Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: James, the earliest extant manuscript witnesses of James dates to mid to late 3rd Century. The Epistle of James[1] was probably written sometime between 45 and 50 A.D. This makes it potentially the first New Testament book written with Galatians being the other contender for this distinction. Some have questioned if an uneducated 1st Century Jew whose mother tongue was Aramaic could have written the sophisticated Greek reflected in James. Of course, such an objection is easily dismissed when we consider that James could have employed an amanuensis to help phrase his thoughts in Greek. (Such was common practice. In fact, Paul’s writings list several amanuenses; likewise, Peter probably utilized Silvanus in this capacity.) The Epistle of James is one of the General or Catholic (meaning universal) Epistles, which also include 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2, and 3 John, and Jude. They are called general because they are not addressed to a specific church or person. They broadly address the experiences and struggles of the Christian life. General Epistles were some of the last to be included in the cannon of the New Testament.
The epistle begins with a salutation much like that of the Apostle Paul’s writings. Just as today, letters of the period had a certain form that they followed, for example, an opening salutation that identifies the author and audience. Paul, who was well-educated in both Jewish and Greco-Roman traditions, writes letters that show a masterful use of rhetoric of the period. James’ letter follows the opening formula of naming the author and audience. But beyond that, it departs from the letter structure. Instead, it has a stream of consciousness feel, as Roger Daniel, my friend and mentor, describes it. One idea sparks a comment about another idea and another and another, covering the same themes several times throughout the letter.
In discussing the Epistle of James, Chuck Swindoll points out that there are two great overarching themes of the Bible: the way to God, addressed mostly to the lost person; and the walk with God, addressed to the person who knows God – the believer. Several themes are apparent in James in addressing the issue of the believer’s walk with God. Bruce Metzger in The New Testament: Its Background, Growth, and Content, comments that “the main themes, most of which recur several times throughout the letter, are the following:” trials and temptations, the rich and the poor, faith and works, the tongue, patience and prayer, the true wisdom of life.[2] The epistle is sometimes called the Proverbs of the New Testament because of its similarity to the Jewish wisdom literature of the Old Testament. It also contains fifty imperatives or commands to the Christian believers and almost as many indicatives or statements of fact about God and the Christian life.[3]
As noted, the epistle begins with the standard greeting that identifies the audience as “the 12 tribes dispersed abroad.” Dispersed or scattered comes from the word diaspora (Greek) that would have been applied to a farmer scattering seeds, what today we would call broadcast planting where a handful seeds, such as with turnip greens, is scattered across a field. This is a pseudonym for Israel. The Jews had gone into exile to Babylon in the 5th Century B.C. When they were allowed to return by Cyrus the Great, not all Jews returned, thus creating the first of many Jewish expatriate communities. By the 1st Century A.D., Jews were dispersed across much of the Roman world. Of course, the focus of the epistle is on Jewish believer in Jewish. These may be who were converted on the Day of Pentecost and then returned to their homes across the Roman world. Many commentators believe that more specifically James may have in mind those Christians who left Jerusalem following the martyrdom of Stephen and the persecution that followed. Although we may assume that any Gentile converts are tacitly included in this general salutation, there is no hint of the controversary that would eventually arise over Gentile converts and the question if they should be required to follow the tenets of the Jewish Law, such as circumcision. (This also helps date the letter’s date of composition.) But undoubtedly the salutation reflects that the fledging Church is still Jewish-centric at the time the letter was written.
The author identifies himself as “James, a slave of God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” The Greek term translated “slave” is doulos. Another “good translation [for doulos] is ‘bondservant’… in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another.”[4] (We will discuss this further below.) The name James in English is the Hebrew Ya’aqor (Jacob). It was a common name in 1st Century Palestine. There are three James from the New Testament who are considered as the possible authors of the epistle: James the Apostle and brother of the Apostle John, two of the twelve disciples of Jesus; James the Less, also one of the twelve disciples; and James, the earthly brother of Jesus.
James, the brother of Jesus, is the most likely candidate, and one we will consider in more detail. Herod Agrippa “had James, the brother of John, executed with a sword” (probably beheaded) (Acts 12, NET). This took place about 44 A.D. With his execution so early in the history of the fledgling Church, it is not likely that the Apostle James is the author of the epistle. James the Less, the son of Alphaeus, is sometimes proposed as the author as well, but this James did not have near the stature in the early Church as did James, the brother of Jesus, so it is unlikely that he would have had the standing or status to send such an authoritative letter to the dispersed believers.
James, the brother of Jesus, was the biological half-brother of Jesus. Jesus was divinely conceived of the Holy Spirit through Mary when she was a young virgin (see Luke 1). Mary was also the mother of James, but Joseph was his father, making James a half-brother biologically to Jesus. Catholic and Orthodox commentators, on the other hand, who hold to the extrabiblical teaching that Mary remained perpetually virgin throughout her life, believe that James was instead a stepbrother by Joseph and a first wife, or even a cousin to Jesus. Is it possible that James and the other brothers and sisters[5] of Jesus were from by an earlier marriage? Sure, but it is more likely that they were younger siblings by Mary and Joseph. (I will add a handout on this later.)
Imagine what is must have been like to have Jesus as a big brother. Even at a young age, his wisdom was obvious as demonstrated by his reasoning with the teachers in Temple when he was only 12 (Luke 2:46-47). Returning home from the Temple with his parents, scripture tells us that he “was obedient to them” (Luke chapter 2:48, NET). Even children are tempted. I recall the first time I deliberately disobeyed my mother. I was six. I had a toy gun that shot a plastic projectile. It was an outside toy and that was the rule set down by my parents. But I fired it inside the house. Confronted by my mother, I then flat-footed lied, declaring that I had not done it. But this was not the case with Jesus, though as a child he was surely tempted to sin, to take his brother’s toys or pull his sister’s hair. Yet according to scripture, Jesus was “tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15, NET). Imagine living with a perfect sibling! Who did that? Well, we know it wasn’t Jesus. (This is funny for us, but probably frustrating for his brothers and sisters growing up.)
What is interesting to note is that during his ministry, Jesus’ family did not believe he was the Son of God. John MacArthur thinks that it was the animosity his siblings felt toward Jesus is why they rejected him. With all due respect, I do not doubt growing up they may have felt animosity, but I cannot see that as enough to reject him. It may have been because of their familiarity. It could even have been out of concern for him; after all, scripture indicates that they thought he had lost his mind. Mark 3:21 (NET) relates, “his family… went out to restrain him, for they said, ‘He is out of his mind.’”
The Chosen (directed by Dallas Jenkins) is an Internet/TV series adaption of the life of Jesus. I have watched most of it. It does take some artistic license, for which some have criticized it, but I think it is a good dramatic telling of the Gospel. That said, one of the most interesting scenes, at least for me, was when Jesus first openly declares himself as the Messiah as recorded in Luke 4:16-22. .
16 Now Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointedmeto proclaim good newsto the poor. He has sent meto proclaim releaseto the captives and the regaining of sightto the blind, to set freethose who are oppressed, 19to proclaim the yearof the Lord’s favor.” 20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to tell them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled even as you heard it being read.” 22 All were speaking well of him, and were amazed at the gracious words coming out of his mouth.
Jesus already had a large following. But this surely caught them off guard. It was one thing to believe he was a great rabbi or teacher; it was another to believe he was Messiah, Son of God. The Chosen does a great job showing the confusion among his followers and those in the town where he grew up. His family was the same way. How could their big brother be the Son of God?
But after his crucifixion and resurrection, we see Jesus’ family converted and playing an important part of the early Church. Jesus even makes a special appearance to James after the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:7). What must that have been like? Did Jesus say, “See, I told you”? Probably not, instead consider what a loving thing this was for Jesus, the Son of God and also the older brother of James, to appear to James after the resurrection! But that is what Jesus does – loves and reaches out to reconcile those who reject him, even his younger brother. James goes on to become a pillar of the Church (Galatians 2:9). He was the leader at the Council in Jerusalem and conveys the decision concerning Gentile believers (Acts chapter 15). According to Church tradition, he was called Old Camel Knees because his knees were so calloused from kneeling in prayer. Eusebius, the Church historian writing in the early Fourth Century, records that James was thrown from the pinnacle of the Temple for his testimony of Jesus, and when he did not die from the fall, he was beaten to death for his testimony about Jesus.
With this in mind about James, let’s return to his greeting in the epistle. He is James the slave or bondservant. Most people love titles, even if the title does not mean anything. But James did not claim to be anything special. He does not begin with James the Pillar or James the Prayer. People also like to drop names because it makes us sound special by association, as if that person’s merits are ours by association. This can be done in Church as well. I could talk about my father being a pastor. Others in my class are descended from the founding members of our congregation, for example. The Jews did this disputing with Jesus in Matthew Chapter 3. Alistair Begg commenting on this says, “Jesus… acknowledges that they are the offspring of Abraham… he says [they have] a biological, a physical… descent, but [they did not] have any spiritual kinship…. [He] absolutely confront[ed] them when he says, “I know that Abram is your father in terms of your pedigree, but you know who your father is? Satan’s your father.’”[6] The point is that it is our personal spiritual relationship that is important.
Of all people, James could have laid claim to a pedigree. He was not only a descendant of Abraham and in the royal line of King David, he was also the brother of the Messiah! Ironically, I have heard some ministers condemn him for not appealing to this relationship to give more credence to this letter. But James recognized that it was not a physical relationship to Jesus that was important. It was his spiritual relationship that was important. Before we even get into the body of the letter, this is a model for us. It does not matter who your mother or father was, what they did for God, etc. We all must come to Jesus for ourselves, depending on no one else and nothing we have done. He may not appear to us in person as he did James. But his invitation to us to accept his forgiveness of our sins is the same.
[1] The name James comes from the Hebrew יַעֲקֹב (Yaʿăqōḇ). In Greek it is Ἰάκωβος (Iákōbos). The name is translated as Jacob in English translations of the Old Testament. However, it is rendered James in the New Testament. This dates back to the fist English translation of the Bible by John Wycliffe (ca. 1330-1384) who used Jacob for the Old Testament but opted for James for the New Testament. It is uncertain why he made this decision. So as you read James, think Jacob.
[2] Bruce M Metzger, The New Testament: Its Background, Growth, and Content, 3rd ed. (Abingdon Press, 2003).
[3] “God’s indicatives are always the basis for God’s imperatives. This is why we often find the word therefore in the New Testament. It’s because of who God is and what He has done for us in Christ that we should therefore respond in a certain way.” Sinclair B. Ferguson, “Gospel Indicatives and Imperatives,” Ligonier Ministries, October 3, 2023, https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts/things-unseen-with-sinclair-ferguson/gospel-indicatives-and-imperatives.
[4] Hall Harris, ed., “New English Translation Bible,” NET Bible, July 2019, https://netbible.com/.
[5] Mark 6:3 and Matthew list the brothers of Jesus. Sisters are mentioned but not named. Mark list reads James, Joses, Judas [Jude] and Simon. Matthew lists them as James, Joseph, Simon and Judas [Jude]. With James named first in both lists, he is probably the oldest of the brothers.
Amanuensis – a scribe or secretary who would dictate what someone else said. Beyond taking direction dictation, the might also assist with diction, etc., especially if the original speaker was less fluent in the language.
Indicative – statement of fact. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16, KJV). (Compare with imperative.)
Imperative – a command. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Mark 12:31, KJV). (Compare with indicative.)
Bibliography
Inclusion in the bibliography is not an endorsement of the content of the referenced sources.
Barker, Kenneth L, ed. “James Introduction.” In Zondervan NASB Study Bible, 1803–4. Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.A.: Zondervan, 1999.
Today we said our goodbyes and laid to rest the mortal remains of my Uncle Lloyd Burton.
Lloyd was not one of a kind. He was one of two of a kind. He and his brother Floyd, older by a mere ten minutes, were born on August 15… a little bit ago. As is often the case with twins, they had a unique and close relationship. They even had a unique name for each other, “Yaya.” Both were Yaya. When they were just learning to speak, they could not pronounce their names and came up with Yaya. It stuck their whole lives. I have heard stories of their youth and how they were always together and frequently into something. This was a relationship that continued into their adulthood as they were business owners together for decades. And as Lloyd faced health challenges, my Uncle Floyd, along with my Aunt Sue, was there for his brother.
My mother is their older sister, which means she was born more than a little bit ago. Her name is Betty Ruth but that was morphed to Boof by her little brothers. My dad used to joke that since they only had one sister, only one of them was his brother-in-law. So he introduced them as “my brother-in-law Floyd and his brother Lloyd.” But there was love with the humor. Mom was reminiscing this week and said that just like any siblings, sometimes they disagreed, but regardless of the conversation, good or bad – agree or disagree, it always closed with “I love you.”
Lloyd was seldom out front or boisterous, preferring to work behind the scenes. I would like to quote Jeff Anderson, one of his friends:
“I know what kind of man Lloyd Burton was! They don’t make them like that anymore! He would give people food, hay for horses, gas and many other things no one ever knew except the ones who was watching…. He loved people like Jesus did!”
The day Lloyd passed, I visited with his wife of sixty-one years, my Aunt Martha. She said something very similar to Jeff’s words, how if at a fundraiser people were asked to raise their hands to give a certain amount, Lloyd never raised his hand. She noted he was reserved in public, much like his daddy had been. Yet though he would not raise his hand in the crowd, he still contributed quietly behind the scenes to meet the need.
On the other hand, just because he was reserved does not mean he was boring. He had a wry wit about him. I defer to Jeff Anderson one more time.
“We seen each other a couple of weeks ago at the gas pumps and started picking at each other! He said come on by for supper but make sure you bring something for us to eat!”
My earliest memories of my uncle are of him driving my grandfather‘s old red and white Ford tractor, plowing the gardens or bailing hay.
When I was in school, he helped me with a number of woodworking projects. He guided my hands as I used my grandfather‘s bandsaw to cut out a wooden map of Australia. And he helped me build a wooden toolbox and workbench that I have to this day.
He gave me a talking to when he thought I needed it. (I needed it three times in my life if I remember correctly. What they were about is between us.)
He attended my wedding and the college graduation of my children.
And he invited me to dinner… as long as I brought him something to eat. The last time I saw him, about two weeks ago, I took him at his word and brought him a pineapple ice cream sundae, one of his favorite treats. He could hardly wait to get it open and devour it. We closed our visit holding hands in prayer. His last words to me were ”Stephen, I love you.”
All of this is not to say my uncle was a perfect man; none of us are. But my uncle was a forgiven man, a man who had given his life to Christ. Because of that, we grieve at his passing, but we do not grieve like those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Jordan, his granddaughter, called the day he passed his “celebration day.” I like that. Here’s how C.S. Lewis would describe Lloyd’s celebration day:
“He saw Him…. could look on Him. What is blinding, suffocating fire to [others] is now cool light to [Lloyd], is clarity itself, and wears the form of a man.”
Yaya, we love you. We are going to miss you. But we also know one day we will be reunited with you and all those who have put their faith in our Savior.
“My” and “mine” are first-person possessive pronouns. Every English speaker on the planet knows these words. In fact, they are probably some of the first words we use: “Mine!” – even if the thing being claimed is not ours.
For the first blog in the 64 & MoreTM series, I wanted to begin with “my”county, Walker County. But what specifically in my county was a conundrum. I considered several options:
* Little Vine Cemetery where well over a hundred years of my family is buried * Sumiton’s Frog Festival that has nothing do to with frogs * The Foothills Festival in Jasper that actually does have something to do with foothills since Walker County is situated in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains * The Alabama Mining Museum that chronicles history of the coal industry in the county * The Coal Miners monument in Carbon Hill * The old Sumiton Mines, where my grandfather worked as a teen and whose tunnels run under my office building at Bevill State, which has two campuses in Walker County, the former Walker Technical School in Sumiton and Walker College in Jasper * The Mulberry Fork of the Black Warrior River that flows through the county * Lewis Smith Lake, the man-made lake that in its formation submerged numerous homes, farms, and communities in Walker County, as well as Cullman and Winston Counties * The Bankhead House in Jasper or the Long Mansion in Cordova
I could go on, which is kind of the point of this series since there is so much to see and experience in every county in Alabama. Finally, I settled on my home church, the Sumiton Church of God, which brings me back to the possessive pronoun “my.”
“My” can mean I possess something and can control it, like I do my car or my computer, and pretty much do with as I please.
“My” can mean I possess something and am responsible for it, like fulfilling the responsibilities of my job.
“My” can mean I possess something and can benefit from it, like my paycheck and my other benefits from my job.
The first of these uses of “my” is problematic theologically in reference to a church. Christ is the head of The Church. It is His mystical body on Earth, and it is His – or should be – His to control. But the other two uses aptly apply to my church. The Sumiton Church of God is my church, and as a member I am responsible for it – for supporting its mission and ministries with my finances, talents, and time. It is the other “my,” however, the “my” that has to do with the benefits that I think of most when I think of my church. The church has been and done much more for me than I have for the church, and I am blessed to call the Sumiton Church of God my home church.
Let me begin with a bit about its history.
The Sumiton Church of God was part of [the Pentecostal movement that began] in 1896 in a revival in Camp Creek, North Carolina, at the Shearer Schoolhouse, [where] believers experienced an outpouring of the Holy Spirit…. In the 1920s, Sumiton was a typical mining town with a few houses, a dirt road, and one very memorable landmark, a huge pile of slate, the rock waste from the coal… [when] in 1922, an evangelist named Kennedy preached a Pentecostal revival in a tent in Sumiton. [The church was officially established in November of1923.] The first church meeting location was a brush arbor. Eventually, a small frame building was constructed to house the fledgling congregation. (Sumiton Church of God: We’ve Come This Far by Faith, documentary by Nicholas Rizzo, 2023, https://nickphotographics.myportfolio.com/sumiton-church-of-god-weve-come-this-far-by-faith).
Since its humble beginnings in 1923, the church has built and occupied many buildings, including its recently renovated state-of-the art sanctuary. Sometimes people call these facilities the church, and I understand why, and even though carpeted floors and padded seats are an improvement over sawdust and wooden benches, the church is not its facilities. The church is the people who gather in the building.
Likewise, leading up to our church’s Centennial Celebration in 2023, there were a few voices that expressed concern that the excitement of the congregation about the impending centennial was worshipping the past. Just like those who look at nice facilities and see the church, these, too, missed the point. The excitement about the past was not so much about the events and accomplishments. Sure, we were grateful for the accomplishments and milestones. But what we cherished most from our past was the people who had worshipped together and who had served, worked, and sacrificed together.
The church was… and is… the people! In fact, the Greek word ἐκκλησία (ecclesia or ekklesia) that is translated as church in English refers to people, “the called-out ones.”
Bishop Toby Morgan, a Sumiton native and former pastor of the church, voiced this well in his sermon at the church’s Centennial Celebration in November 2023. Taking his text from Hebrews 12, which speaks of “a great cloud of witnesses,” Bishop Morgan spoke of those who had influenced his life as “cloud dwellers.”
My cloud dwellers… Built things, they painted things, they fixed things, they cut grass, they trimmed bushes, they cleaned floors, they scrubbed the toilets. My cloud dwellers reached out to others… They brought children to church, and they taught in nursing homes, they carried food to hungry people… My cloud dwellers prayed. They would pray all the time!
Though Bishop Morgan is a few years older than I am, we shared many of the same cloud dwellers that he had in mind, such as my own grandparents, Buel and Myrtle Burton, who worked in children’s ministry for decades. Others from my childhood memories include Brother Clyde Ellis, Sister Lillie Cook, Sister Bea Brasfield, and Sister Jerry Dodd, who are, as my Uncle Floyd says, heroes.
And while I cherish these memories, I cherish the present as well. Every Sunday morning as I play in the church band, on my right is a thirteen-year-old saxophone player, Grant, who just comes to my shoulder. And on my left is a seventeen-year-old trombone player, Dawson, whose shoulder I barely reach. Thrown in the mix are three other horn players, some of whom I have played with for more decades than I will share.
Six generations of my family have been part of the Sumiton Church, and it thrills me to see the sixth generation worshiping with their parents and grandparents and great-grandparents. Alongside them are other unassuming members of the church who faithfully serve on Sunday mornings greeting visitors and operating the sound and video systems and teaching classes. Through the week, they run a food bank and operate recovery ministry and prison ministries. Some of them host small group Bible studies in their homes, and others do it while riding motorcycles on Highway 78 or hiking the Sipsey Wilderness. They care for children and youth and senior adults and… like Bishop Morgan’s cloud dwellers, they pray!
I hope you visit Walker County. If you come from Birmingham west on Highway 78, about two miles inside Walker County look up to the right. You will see the Sumiton Church of God buildingperched on a hill. But if you want to see “my” church, you will have to wait till Sunday morning when we gather. Or through the week, stop by an area city hall or a local restaurant or store or one of the school campuses or a thousand other places in Walker County. That is where you will find the my church, the Sumiton Church of God.
64 & More is a series of blogs about places and events in Alabama. There are sixty-seven counties in Alabama. The number sixty-four for decades was the numeric designation for Walker County used on Alabama car tags, hence the number sixty-four in the title. The more extends not only to the other sixty-six counties but also the major cities and pretty much anything else I want it to. After all, it is my blog.
I hope you enjoy exploring 64 & More as much as I have enjoyed exploring my state and writing about it.
Instead of a photo and a poem this Christmas, I got creative (maybe) and opted for a calligram, a visual image and poem in one. A calligram, sometimes called a concrete poem or visual poem, is poetry in which the arrangement of words creates a visual image, in this case a Christmas tree. The poem is comprised of Christmas greetings in numerous languages. Almost all the greetings are in languages that are spoken by my friends across the globe. But just for fun, I added an Anglo-Saxon greeting in runes, though I doubt Alfred the Great is going to read my poem. And I included Latin, you know, just in case the Pope does read it.
Additionally, I decided to share an old-fashioned Christmas letter. Back in the day, Christmas letters shared the news of the year and holiday greetings. I loved getting them, especially from my cousin Diane in Houston. Of course, Christmas letters have become a thing of the past since we share each other’s lives in real time on social media. At least, I know you guys see my antics online because you tell me about it. Anyway, here we go.
My family and I have had a blessed year, and I am grateful to God for his blessings. Olivia and Nicholas both graduated from Athens State University. Olivia and Emma, her traveling pal, headed to Korea for two weeks right after graduation to spend time with two special friends, Fred and Reneea, who serve at school in Pohang. When she returned, she accepted a position with the Marion County School System as a science teacher at Brilliant High School, where she is also the band sponsor. The job keeps her busy, but she seems to be doing well.
Nick, on the other hand, only drove to Jasper after graduation where he served as the Interim Director of the Walker County Arts Alliance for several month. Additionally, he is a social media manager for Blanton Media Group, the publisher of 78 Magazine and The Walker Leader. He is learning a lot about real-world application of the skills he attained at Athens. And just to round things out, he is working on an M.A. in Visual Communications. In fact, he just got his first grades – all A’s.
The extended family is doing well also. Mom is still sharp and sassy as ever, and all things considered, doing rather well. We are all excited about the latest addition to the Rizzo clan. My nephew Chase and his wife Britney had a baby boy, Martin Joseph Rizzo, in November. He is absolutely adorable! As you can imagine, we are all beside ourselves excited about Martin’s arrival.
Finally, our congregation is blessed as well. I cannot share everything, but I will mention two additions to the church this year. Blaine Johnson joined our ministry team this year as the music pastor. He is talented, motivated, and caring. The growth in both quantity and quality of our music ministry under his direction was apparent in our Christmas service. (Find it on Facebook or Youtube at Sumiton Church of God.) And Jonah Barrett has taken on a volunteer position of Young ACollege/Young Adult Pastor. I have known him since the day he was born and am so proud of the young man he has become. His late father, Reverend DeWayne Barrett, a dear friend of mine, would be proud of his son as well. For these and all God’s blessings, I am truly grateful.
To close, over the last few Christmases I have participated in a tradition where friends and I share recipes with each other. Last year, I shared a photocopy of my grandmother’s handwritten fruitcake cookie recipe. This year, I would like to share a Greek feta cheese dip called bouyourdi.
Ingredients: Greek feta (Get the good kind in brine water, not the crumbled, dry feta.) Tomatoes (It is so much better with fresh heirloom tomatoes, but even canned diced tomatoes will work.) Peppers (Traditionally a sweet bell pepper is used, but I have used all kinds depending on what I have on hand, such as pepperoncini, roasted red peppers, etc.) Ground oregano Olive oil Additional toppings can include olives and thinly sliced onions.
Directions: Place the feta in a small baking dish. Layer the tomatoes and peppers on top. Add any additional toppings you wish. Sprinkle with oregano. I love oregano, so I use a lot. If you’re new to using oregano, start out with just barely more than enough to be seen. Drizzle with olive oil. Don’t be stingy with the oil.
Bake at 350 degrees for about forty-five minutes. At about fifteen minutes in, give it a stir to mix the ingredients. (If you’re impatient like I am, you can microwave it, but it tastes better baked slowly.) Feta cheese does not become stringy like most cheeses. Instead, it has a nice creamy consistency when melted.
Pair with pita bread or chips or a nice, toasted bread of your choice. It is great as an appetizer or a snack.
When I make bouyourdi, I am reminded of a visit to my dad’s family in Galveston something over twenty years ago. We met up with dad’s cousin Mary, better known as “Wee,” and decided to go to his cousin Sonny Martini’s place for lunch, unaware that Sonny had moved his restaurant. When we arrived, we found a new restaurant and its owner, a nice Greek gentleman, instead of Sonny. But that was OK. We spent the next hour or so chatting with each other and with him, talking about Greece and family (Dad’s grandmother was Greek) and enjoying slice after slice after slice of warm feta and olives.
That was one of those times that was just perfect for making a memory. And though Dad and Wee have both passed, I go back in my mind to that day and live it over with them. My hope is that you might make similar memories and enjoy a warm plate of bouyourdi with your family and friends.
The impetus for this little flash of inspiration (at least I hope it is inspired) was a recent conversation with a friend and ministry colleague, but as Emerson wrote to Whitman, it also “had a long foreground” in my life’s experiences and in the distillation of ideas by many others. In mulling over what is to follow, I initially thought to title this piece leadership something or other. Truth be told, however, leadership positions are rare and not easily attained. But influence is something that we can develop regardless of our station or role. My proposition, then, is not how to lead but how to live a life of influence, which comes down to one, two, three… six.
ONE LIFE
There is only one of you. You have desires and dreams, and you have abilities and influence, maybe even amazing dreams and significant influence. Still, what you can do alone is limited. On the other hand, through healthy, meaningful, intentional relationships, what you can accomplish in conjunction with others is exponential.
Up front, I need to state an axiom. Two relationships, your relationship with God and your relationship with your family, must supersede the following. If they do, these relationships will invigorate and nourish what follows. If they do not, failure in one or both of these primary relationships will diminish and taint success in any other area of life.
We all have areas of interest and influence, whether you are the gardener or the president. (You might be surprised at which one has the greater sphere of influence. If you do not believe this, study the life of George Washington Carver.) Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. But I surmise the majority of us at most can successfully operate in only a very limited number of areas.
TWO SPHERES OF INFLUENCE
Consequently, I recommend that you select two spheres of influence, just two. These are areas where you have a passion, standing, and opportunity. These could be large and expansive or small and focused. Regardless, they must be realistic for where you are in your life.
There is a good chance you will discover that your two areas of interest are related but not synonymous per se. They might or might not be scalable over time. Likely one will be more important to you than the other. Do not be rigid, yet the more clearly you can enunciate your spheres the more you free yourself of the noise and clutter in your life.
This does not mean you do not have other areas of your life or concerns where you are tangentially or temporarily engaged. But these two areas will frame and focus who you are, where you primarily engage, and how much of your resources, the most precious of which is time, you allocate.
THREE GOALS
Develop up to three goals, no more, for each area. A goal must be concrete and measurable. While you might personally benefit from accomplishments in these areas, ultimately the more altruistic your motivation and goal, the greater your sense of accomplishment and fulfillment will be. (There is nothing wrong with having a feeling or sense of accomplishment and probably something wrong if you do not.)
Your goals are not set in stone. Some goals might be finite and, therefore, could be accomplished at some point. Your priorities could shift for any number of reasons, such as you gain more insight in an area or life in general. Spheres of influence could change, or your own life situation changes. Still, some goals might be perpetual and lifelong.
SIX PEOPLE
Finally, for each area select six people whom you are prepared to invest your life in to accomplish your goals. These can be mentors, mentees, or partners. (Sometimes the lines between these roles will blur.) You could discover there is overlap in the six in your spheres of influence, and you might never have six all at one time. Certainly, I do not mean find people to use to get what you want. Rather, these are relationships that you will cultivate and invest in over time. These are relationships that are mutually beneficial and nourishing. Outside of your relationships with God and your family, these people you select and relationships you develop will form and frame you over the course of your life more than you might imagine, so choose wisely.
Why six? Several reasons, but I will mention one. If you select six individuals in two spheres of influence, you have selected twelve people you value enough to invite into your life. If twelve was enough for Jesus, then it should be more than enough for you.
Mentors, partners, and mentees will come and go in your life for a myriad of reasons. Pastor Roger Daniel contacted me when he needed a six-month interim music pastor. Since then, a meaningful twenty-year friendship has followed. On the other hand, not too long ago I lost a dear friend through death. Only my father’s passing has left a bigger hole in my life than the loss of Randy Beck. Others come and go because of a change in vocation or location. Sometimes your priorities diverge. And sadly, some may leave you through betrayal or apostasy. When this happens, do not be surprised. After all, Jesus had Judas.
When you are young, if you are smart you will find mentors, people who are wiser, stronger, more developed, and better connected in your areas of interest. As you mature and develop, you should continue to have mentors, but you will also begin to make partners, men and women with like passions and complementary gifts and abilities. Of course, at some point you should find yourself in the role of mentor as well if you grow better, not just older. But what you should never do is find yourself alone. Stay engaged with people – your people.
To recap, put God, not ministry, first and family second in your life will align your overall priorities.
Limit yourself to two areas of significant interest or influence will guide you in allocating your resources.
Have clear and measurable goals will focus and direct your actions.
Engage a set of people with whom you intentionally engage will drive your calendar and multiply your effort.
Of course, none of this is a guarantee of success, but it will ensure a greater likelihood of success with reduced stress and decreased anxiety, byproducts of prioritizing and focusing the one life you have.
I was recently taking an online professional development workshop. As part of the course, we were asked to share our thoughts about student learning. Since the end of summer is nearing, teachers are putting away their sunscreen and dusting off their lesson plans. So I thought I would share my little musing about learning.
Students learn by doing: students learn by failing.
Or to put it another way, a heuristic approach to learning provides opportunities for students to fail constructively.
I frequently create learning opportunities for students around the boos boos they tend to make in whatever subject I am teaching. They are shocked. I am not. (Having taught more than a minute, I have a list of recurring boos boos that students make.) Then I help them find the solution.
I was first introduced to this approach by my Granddaddy Burton. He was not and educator, but he intuitively knew a thing or two about how to drive a lesson home.
I recall when I was about ten years old. He and I were in what he called the shop room. It contained numerous power tools, such as a table saw and a bandsaw and a wood lathe and such. Lots of things were built or repaired there over the years. On this occasion, he was working on some project at his workbench. I was nearby on the floor struggling to remove a bent nail from a board.
I hooked the claws of the hammer on the nail and pulled with all my might, handle end of the hammer facing me. And then it happened! The hammer slipped loose from the nail, and then end of the handle came flying toward me, hitting me square on the top of my head.
My grandfather looked at me and calmly said, “I knew that was going to happen.”
I loved my granddaddy. In fact, I adored him. But in that moment, all I could think was “then why did you let me do it?”
He then took my hammer and a small block of wood. Using the block of wood as a fulcrum, he effortlessly removed the nail.
I was amazed and appalled. Couldn’t he have just shown me without having me banging my brain with a hammer? Maybe. But that certainly was what we educators refer to as a teachable moment. And it must have worked. Here I am more than half a century later, and I still recall this lesson. And I also still pull nails with a little block of wood as a fulcrum. His approach, clearly a heuristic if painful approach, worked.
Sans the hammer and headache, I try to create similar opportunities for students to learn from their own mistakes. If you have taken one of my classes, you can attest to this.
So, my fellow educators, for what it is worth here is my contribution to your back-to-school preparation. Now create some learning moments of your own by letting your students fail. (Just don’t use hammers.)
Lightnings flashed from Mount Sinai at His presence.
In Bethlehem –
A child born – Eternal Light wrapped in flesh and swaddled –
His mother’s eyes twinkled at His smile.
A Son given – Eternal Light embraced by mortality and death –
Hell stared in terror before His consuming flame.
In the land of shadows –
The people who stumbled in darkness rejoiced
As the great Light shone.
The nutcracker (photographed 2022) on this year’s card is part of Cullman’s Christkindlmarkt. This is one of the twin nutcrackers, approximately fifteen feet tall, that flank the gateway to the Christkindlmarkt.
The card design is by my son, Nicholas S. M. Rizzo. The season’s greeting is in German. The font is based on Bauhaus (Germany, 1919-1933) principles. His overall design is straightforward with an emphasis on negative space.
In the summer of 2021, my second favorite pastor resigned the pastorate of my home church to take another in Florida. I had known Victor Massey since we were young. Our fathers were ministers together, long before Victor became my second favorite pastor. I said he was my second favorite since my dad, Bucky Rizzo, was a pastor and will always be my favorite. But until August of 2021, Victor Massey was my second favorite.
Then my church had a rather lengthy pastoral search while Pastor Lane Sargent, one of our retired former pastors, served as our interim and my second favorite pastor for about ten months. During that time the deacons prayed to find God’s will for who our pastor should be. Different individuals in the congregation indicated they believed it was God’s will for this one or that one to be our pastor. Yet I do not believe God cares. I do not mean God is unconcerned, but having given us free will he provides us opportunities to make wise choices and will give us wisdom in the process according to James 1:5. I really do not see that there is scriptural support to indicate that God has one particular person selected for every pastoral position or most any other role in the church or government or community or anywhere else. The task is not to ascertain the elusive and secret will of God. Instead, scripture teaches that we are much more responsible for our decisions and the consequences of our choices than we might like, which is why we should pray for wisdom.
With that theological understanding, I prayed for wisdom and when the pastoral vote was taken, I voted for someone whom I felt met the scriptural guidelines of a pastor and would be a good match for our congregation. But that is not who was selected. Instead in March 2022, Harv Turner became my second favorite pastor. Along with Pastor Harv, his wonderful wife Kelley became a part of our church family. Shortly after, his father, a retired minister himself, and his mother joined the congregation. And we are working to entice his son, daughter-in-law, and daughter to move to Sumiton.
I like Pastor Harv, my second favorite pastor. He is personable and a tad high energy. Early on, I noticed that he calls the names of members of the congregation as he preaches. It is a rhetorical device to engage the congregation, a way to connect new faces with names, and sometimes just something fun to do. Mine was one of the names he called, and I began to rib him about it on social media, keeping a tally of how many times he mentioned me. He was good natured and played along.
Recently Pastor Harv ran into me at lunch on campus. (He tried to sneak away, but I caught him.) We shared a meal and a conversation, which ran the gamut. Partly we talked about his experiences as a pastor, his father’s, my father’s, and even mine as a past music pastor. My dad more than once said that pastoring should be one of the most enjoyable jobs in the world, but people – Christians – make it difficult. The Apostle Paul surely knew this, which is why in 1 Thessalonians 5:13 he admonishes “to esteem them [pastors and church leaders] very highly in love for the work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.” In the conversation with Pastor Harv, I alluded to this scripture. I try to follow it, though I know at times I have failed. But this is the way my favorite pastor raised me.
I certainly hope I demonstrate my love and respect for Pastor Harv, whether he calls my name in his sermons or not. But I think he will keep calling my name. If you are a believer and live in the area but do not have a pastor, come meet mine. His name is Harv. I think you would like him if you met him.
On the other hand, if you are not a believer you need a savior. His name is Jesus. I know he has been calling your name much longer and with deeper love than Pastor Harv has been calling mine. And you would love him if you met him.
Rizzo's Rambles and Ruminations 