Sam Jones Pastor’s Blog

            Americans are engaged in a passionate love affair with our houses. Contemporary culture is obsessed with the topic of home décor and design. Cable and satellite TV broadcast home and garden advice twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. A host of perky personalities give the low-down on the how-to of projects ranging from repairing a dripping faucet to renovating the Trump Towers. Magazines fill mailboxes with picture-perfect homes that fit the financial means of anyone owning majority shares in a Fortune 500 company. It seems as if EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE is redecorating his or her home.

            The home and garden craze left me behind long ago. I don’t understand the allure of renovating, painting, or changing a perfectly good home. However, let me quickly confess that I am fashion challenged. All of my taste resides in my mouth, and I possess no sense of style or flair. My eyes glaze over whenever someone mentions paint chips, cloth swatches, or wood shades. Like the majority of the masculine persuasion, I like any color as long as it is off-white.

            I am not alone. Men across America stare in dull-eyed confusion while their significant others wax eloquent about pillow shams, plantation shutters, balloon valances, or distressed wood. As a public service for these poor souls, I am offering “A Man’s Guide to Decorating Terms and Other Incomprehensible Words.” My sincere prayer is that these words of guidance will save marriages across our fair land.

            Paint is an important component in any home redesign. However, paint now comes in an overwhelming palette of shades and hues. When just the right tint is finally selected, one must then select “flat,” “semi-gloss,” “gloss” and “satin” finishes. These terms refer to the dullness or shine of the paint. As a general rule of thumb, ceilings are flat, walls semi-gloss, and trim work is satin. Like owning a dozen pair of brown high heels, it’s not something you have to understand as long as you can say, “Yes, dear!”

            Women place great store in “accessorizing” a room. An average man is satisfied with a table, easy chair, bed, and TV. In contrast, the female of the species treasures bowls, pictures, plates, dollies, mirrors, candles, water features, wall hangings, and floor rugs. The closest male analogy is collecting fishing lures or power tools. Accessories add “punch” to a room and can be quite “whimsical.” However, accessories should never detract from the “statement” made to anyone “reading” the room.

            Decorators insist that rooms possess a “focal point.” For most men, a large screen television is THE perfect focal point for ANY room. However, women set great store in “conversation pieces” that elicit admiration from female guests. The only conversation the pieces inspire in men is the question: “Where’s the TV?”

            “Faux” is French for fake. However, fake is fine if it is French. “Weekend projects” last for months. “Low cost” involves an amortization schedule with a balloon payment due in seven years. “Wall hangings” are anything covering a perfectly good wall. Finally, “We’re finished” is a meaningless statement used after the latest project to placate husbands before the next project.

            Oh, there IS one other phrase women use in the planning and implementation of home projects. They will occasionally turn to their male counterparts and earnestly ask, “What do YOU think?” Fortunately, no response is really required or expected to the rhetorical question.

            Dr. Bill Burch is the senior minister at Sam Jones Memorial United Methodist Church in Cartersville. www.samjonesumc.org

Memorandum

Date:    02-21-2010

To:       Area Laity and Clergy

From:   The Liturgical Correctness Commission

Re:       Lint and Lent

It has come to our attention that some within our congregations continue to confuse the words “lint” and “Lent.” Our ecclesiastical research staff has compiled the following information for your use.

“”LINT”” is the stuff (a technical term defined in an earlier memo) that gathers on wool pants in the moments between ironing and wearing. A lint brush is used to spread the bits of fabric evenly across one’s clothes.

“LENT” is the forty day season in the Christian calendar prior to Easter. Ash Wednesday on February 17 began the period with an emphasis on human sinfulness and mortality. However, the events of Good Friday and Easter lead beyond human evil and death to God’s grace and life.

Both words describe the mess of human existence. Lent, however, points to the One who has done something about it—once and for all.

With this in mind, please attempt to keep your “i”s and “e”s straight in the future.

Sencirily,

The Liturgical Correctness Commission

Dr. Bill Burch is the senior minister at Sam Jones Memorial United Methodist Church in downtown Cartersville. www.samjonesumc.org

            Our nation will celebrate Presidents’ Day tomorrow. The annual observance occurs on the third Monday of February. Although federal employees will enjoy a long weekend, Monday is not a holiday for most people. Presidents’ Day falls somewhere between Labor Day and Groundhog’s Day in perceived importance.

            The February holiday began during the eighteenth century in celebration of George Washington’s birthday. Balls, banquets, parades, and speeches honored “the Father of our Country.” Actually, Washington was born on February 11 under the old style calendar. The date was later adjusted to February 22.

            Following the Civil War, Congress created another holiday on February 12 to commemorate Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. Then in 1971 Richard Nixon combined the existing holidays into one “Presidents’ Day.” The holiday honors not only Washington and Lincoln but also all of the United States’ presidents.

            During boyhood, George Washington always fascinated me. My generation accepted as fact all the myths surrounding his life. The first president loomed larger-than-life. Of course, some of the stories stretched even a child’s credibility.

            For example, I never believed that George really threw a silver dollar across the Potomac River. I had extensive experience in skipping stones on the water. Even a basic grasp of aerodynamics seemed to discount flinging a coin across any river.

            Then there was the wooden teeth tale. My class was fascinated to learn that President Washington had a set of dentures made of wood. I figured this was probably true. After all, who would make up such a story?

            The most familiar tall tale, however, was the cherry tree legend. Everyone remembers the story. For some unknown reason, George chopped down his father’s prized cherry tree with a hatchet. When questioned, George replied: “I cannot tell a lie–I did it!” Then his father commended him for such honesty.

            The account always left me with mixed feelings. On the one hand, George’s honesty and courage are laudable. On the other hand, any intelligent child would have been prepared with a better alibi. And the father’s reaction sounded quite improbable.

            I once heard another version of the cherry tree story. One day a boy was playing on his family’s farm when he noticed an outhouse by the riverbank. In a spirit of mischief, he pushed the privy over into the water and gleefully watched it float downstream.

            Later his father confronted him with the deed. In emulation of George Washington, the boy answered: “I cannot tell a lie—I did it!” Then his father proceeded to WEAR HIM OUT!

            After the spanking, the son protested: “But Daddy, when George Washington told the truth, his father forgave him.” The father answered grimly: “That’s true—but HIS father wasn’t sitting in the tree!”

            Honesty IS the best policy; however, not cutting down the tree to begin with is an even better plan.

            Dr. Bill Burch is the senior minister at Sam Jones Memorial United Methodist Church in Cartersville. www.samjonesumc.org

Have you ever daydreamed about becoming a church dropout but don’t know how? Today’s article can help! Follow these simple steps, and you too can become an inactive church member.

A great way to become inactive is to never become active. Many church dropouts discover this simple truth. Members who immediately plunge into the activities of a church become very involved. People who remain uninvolved on the periphery possess a much greater chance of slipping away.

If you must attend church, then only go to worship. Avoid small groups. People involved in small groups discover fellowship, significance, meaning, and purpose in their lives. Without realizing it, they become regular and faithful members of the church.

Guard against any involvement in a ministry or mission that touches your heart. Service is an involvement trap. When you see how God uses your life to touch others, it becomes addictive. So stay away from any form of ministry.

Make sure the church is not a priority in life. The beauty of this approach is that you do not have to REJECT church involvement consciously. Just go if there’s nothing else to do—and there’s ALWAYS something else to do. Here’s a life lesson that some embrace and others ignore: we can’t do everything. Doing one thing means other things remain left undone. That’s life. That’s reality.

So if you want to be inactive in the church, only come when it is convenient. Let your schedule be determined by late Saturday nights, sleeping-in, family time, ball games, golf matches, weather, fishing, hunting, and more. With practice, you can reduce attendance to Easter and Christmas. Some even manage to stop church attendance cold turkey.

Don’t forget the popular “getting out of the habit” approach. I occasionally see inactive members in public. If avoidance is impossible, they will grin guiltily and say, “Well, preacher, we just got out of the habit of coming to church.” In most cases, I note they are still in the habit of going to work, school, grocery stores, gas stations, ball fields, gyms, and vacations; but somehow church attendance has become equated with getting out of the habit of flossing your teeth, cleaning out the gutters, or changing furnace filters monthly.

If all else fails, a tried and true method for dropping out of church is to get your feelings hurt. For this approach to work, one must first be offended over some real or imagined slight. Then nurse the grudge until it is healthy and well. Finally, allow the resentment and anger to make you quit the church.

To misquote Paul Simon, there must be 50 ways to leave your church. I’ve only named a few; and while I have taken some humorous license, the subject is nothing to laugh about. There ARE times the church seems to let us down.  It is not relevant to our needs. At a time when we were hurting, no one noticed. Someone says or does something that hurts deeply. I have even heard of OTHER churches where the preacher was at fault!

Both individuals and congregations share in the responsibility for alienation. Rather than name blame, however, I would rather lay claim to God’s promises that the old can be made new again. Fresh starts and new beginnings are at the core of what it means to be a Christian. So drop into church this Sunday—you’ll be glad that you did.  

            Dr. Bill Burch is the senior minister at Sam Jones Memorial United Methodist Church in downtown Cartersville. www.samjonesumc.org

            The United States and Canada annually observe Groundhog Day on February 2. The rather bizarre holiday stars its own namesake: the lowly groundhog. According to legend, the large ground squirrel possesses mysterious, prognosticating abilities. If the rodent sees his shadow, then he will retreat into his burrow in fear. Another six weeks of winter will follow. If cloudy weather prevents the furred forecaster from seeing his shadow, then he will leave his lair, signifying the advent of spring.

            Historians debate the origin of the holiday. Groundhog Day may have roots in ancient, pagan festivals of Europe; however, it originated as a Pennsylvania German custom in North America. In southeastern Pennsylvania (where there is apparently not a whole lot to do), people widely and wildly celebrate February 2.

            Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania hosts the most renowned Groundhog observance in America. The resident rodent is known as “Punxsutawney Phil.” Over 40,000 pilgrims gather annually for the festivities. An elite group of city leaders known as “The Inner Circle” appear in tuxedos and top hats. At the appointed hour, they lift the groundhog high in the air. With high drama, the leader listens carefully to Phil’s observations. Then he announces the results to the cheering crowds. (This confirms the earlier, editorial comment that there’s not a whole lot to do in southeastern Pennsylvania).  

            Not to be outdone, Atlanta boasts its own version of Punxsutawney Phil. General Beauregard Lee resides at the Yellow River Game Ranch in Lilburn, Georgia. The learned, distant-cousin-of-a rat has received two—count them, TWO—honorary doctoral degrees from local institutions. The University of Georgia awarded him a “DWP: Doctor of Weather Prognostication.” (Although I AM a Georgia Tech fan, I will refrain from any comments about the ease of “earning” a Bulldog doctorate.) Not to be outdone, Georgia State University honored the General with a “Doctor of Southern Groundology.”

            Authorities in such matters disagree about the accuracy of Groundhog Day’s prognostications. Rodent supporters claim that groundhogs are accurate anywhere from 75% to 90% of the time—far exceeding the success rate of their television weather-forecasting colleagues. The folk at the Yellow River Game Ranch assert that General Lee boasts an astonishing 94% success rate. The National Climatic Data Center, however, reports a more down-to-earth average of 39% accuracy for groundhogs nationwide. One prosaic scientist laconically observed that regardless of a groundhog’s prediction, Spring ALWAYS officially arrives on March 20 or 21—about six weeks after Groundhog’s Day.

            Bill Murray starred in a 1993 movie entitled “Groundhog Day.” He played an egocentric weather reporter named Phil Connors. His producer assigned the weatherman to cover the dreaded Groundhog Day’s doings in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Inexplicably, Connors finds himself repeating the same day over and over again. After a series of misdeeds and misadventures, Phil recognizes that fate has granted him the opportunity to transform his life. The movie ends when he . . . well, you need to watch it for yourself!
            Traditionally, January 1 inspires people to make New Year’s resolutions. However, many of us need a second chance at a second chance. If 01-01 didn’t work for you, then try 02-02. Regardless of sunlight or shadows, it’s never too early or too late to claim God’s power to start anew.

            Dr. Bill Burch is the senior minister at Sam Jones Memorial United Methodist Church in downtown Cartersville. www.samjonesumc.org

                Sights of Winter: Warm breath billowing like smoke in the cool air. Frost-embossed window panes. Brown grass shivering under a white blanket of snow. Skeletal trees etched against a grey-cloud horizon. Icicles distilling sunlight into rainbows. Ice-rimed shrubs standing silent sentry in yards. Berry-red sunsets painting the western sky in dripping watercolors. Stratiform clouds making false promises of snow. Folk dressed up like Eskimos. Wind-whipped crimson cheeks. Shadow play of fireplace flame. Blank calendar pages filled with potential and promise. Punxsutawney Phil searching for his shadow. Pink and red Valentine hearts.

            Sounds of Winter: Hoarfrost crunch-crunching underfoot. Swish-swish whispers of corduroy pants passing by. Fingernail-on-the-chalkboard scratching of scrapers on ice-blinded windshields.  Involuntary exclamations of “Brrrrrr” as doors open. Sniffly, snuffly, stuffy noses. TV reports of inclement weather school closings. Reverberations of bouncing basketballs on a high school gym floor. Tree limbs rubbing hands together to stay warm. Sighing, shifting, sizzle, crackle, and cackle of logs on the fire. Tea pot wolf-whistling and crock pot teeth chattering. Children’s excited clamor at the first sighting of snow flurries.

            Smells of Winter: Frigid air scented with polar purity. Spicy, tangy chili simmering on the stove. Piping hot bread fresh from the oven. Parsley, sage, rosemary, cinnamon and thyme. Hickory scented smoke pluming from a chimney. Wet wool steaming dry. Damp snow smell on the wind. Dust-burnt heat blowing from vents.

            Feelings of Winter: Toasty warm blankets and freezer cold floors. Scratchy wool mittens, hats, scarves, and sweaters. Jack Frost nipping at your nose. Glacial winds reminding pedestrians where their underwear ends. Pants so layered that thighs forget one another’s names. Backing up to a blazing fire. A body outline of warmth slowly spreading under sheets and blankets. Chapped lips and dry skin. Static kissed clothes clinging to skin. Frigid car seats chilling the back of one’s front.

Tastes of Winter: Hot cocoa topped with bobbing marshmallows. Homemade soup generously ladled into deep bowls. Crisp cornbread fresh out of the oven. Tart apple cider with cinnamon swizzle sticks. Glutinous oatmeal flavored with sugar and cream. Comfort food of chicken pot pie, macaroni and cheese, chicken noodle soup, meat loaf, topping heaped pizza, and grilled cheese sandwiches. Flittering, fluttering snowflakes melting on an outstretched tongue.

During these winter months, look, listen, see, hear, smell, touch, and taste that the Lord is good!

Dr. Bill Burch is the senior minister at Sam Jones Memorial United Methodist Church in downtown Cartersville. www.samjonesumc.org

            January is a somber, penitential season when we repent of December’s excesses. During the holidays, we indulged in too much of too much. We ate too much food, watched too much television, and spent too much money. The birth of a New Year inspires resolutions of diet, exercise, and thriftiness. Businesses take advantage of the predictable pattern. A plethora of commercials advertise weight-loss plans, exercise equipment, and credit counseling.

            Boxes are another popular product during the post-holiday season. Home improvement and business supply stores prominently display storage accessories. Savvy merchants know that consumers need additional storage for their Christmas loot.

            The seasonal cycle reminds me of George Carlin’s routine about “stuff.” The comedian observed: “A house is just a pile of stuff with a cover on it.” Life revolves around taking care of our stuff. Before Christmas, everyone scurried around to buy more stuff. Now we buy boxes to store the old stuff so there is room for the new stuff. Closets, attics, and garages are filled to the overflowing, and many people must also rent off-site storage.

            Here’s a thought: if we have to box up stuff to make room for more stuff then MAYBE we have too much stuff. I still have things packed in boxes from when I moved almost ten years ago. If something is not used or unpacked after one year, then the chances are good that it’s really needed it at all.

            Most married couples include one saver and one thrower-awayer. The saver squirrels away possessions in the certain knowledge that they will someday be needed or valuable. The thrower-awayer readily tosses anything and everything into the trash, including family heirlooms and important tax documents. Great entertainment can be enjoyed by watching these two personalities prepare for a family yard sale.

            The problem with what we own is that what we own often owns us. Rather than possessing possessions, we discover our possessions possess us. Life becomes an endless rat race to accumulate more stuff and then store the extra stuff away.

            Jesus told a parable about a farmer who enjoyed a bumper crop year. In fact, the harvest proved too great for his barns. What a wonderful dilemma he faced! So the man decided to build more barns to store the bounty. Then he thought to himself, “I will be able to relax, eat, drink, and be merry!” Yet that very night the man died and his possessions passed on to others. Jesus concluded the story by saying, “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”

            Worldly things cannot convey lasting fulfillment, contentment, or meaning. Those who invest their lives in things are buying stock in a bankrupt business. Earthy possessions will never fulfill us any more than drinking salt water can quench our thirst. Stuff cannot fill the aching void within our souls. The real choice is not between stuff and more stuff but between the temporal and eternal, the passing and everlasting.

            Here’s a New Year’s suggestion: give some stuff away to others in need. In the process, we can help others while lightening our own load. Generosity begets generosity, and we will learn to hold all of our possessions with a lighter grip. Loving God by loving others through sharing our possessions is THE stuff.          

            Dr. Bill Burch is the senior minister at Sam Jones Memorial United Methodist Church in downtown Cartersville. www.samjonesumc.org

           “BUILT TO LAST: Christian Marriages that Endure” is the title of the winter worship series at Sam Jones Memorial United Methodist Church. Although newlyweds pledge “until death do us part,” lifelong marriages require an extraordinary amount of work and love. Every couple occasionally needs help along the way.

            Flip a coin in the air and call it: “Heads” or “Tails.” The chance of making the right call is 50/50—the same odds that a marriage will survive in our society. In the United States, approximately 50% of all marriages end in divorce. The percentage is much higher for teenage and second marriages. No one can predict which couples will survive. Even marriages seemingly made in heaven don’t always last on earth.

            This is a critical issue in contemporary culture. It is not an issue of “us” and “them.” “Them” IS “us.” Every family in our community has been affected by divorce. While there are no guaranteed methods of “divorce-proofing” a marriage, the Scriptures provide principles that promote a healthy relationship.

            The seven part worship series will address various marital issues, including:

• January 10:       “XX & XY” ( The real differences between men and women)
• January 17        “Before You Say ‘I Do’” (What to look for in a lifelong mate)
• January 24        “After You Say ‘I Do’” (Principles for healthy marriages)
• January 31        “When You Don’t Know What to Do” (Surviving crisis moments in marriage)
• February 7       “He Said/She Said” (How men and women really communicate)
• February 14     “Weddings are a Day, Marriages are a Lifetime” (Living out the true meaning of our wedding vows)

             Sam Jones Memorial United Methodist Church offers two Traditional Worship Services at 8:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. in the historic sanctuary. The Celebration Service is a more informal, blended style of worship at 9:45 a.m. in the Family Life Center.

There are also two sessions of Sunday School for all ages offered at 9:45 and 11:00. For more information, contact the church office at 770.382.4772 or visit our web site listed below.

            Christian marriage should depend on more than a flip of a coin. Join us as we seek to discover how husband and wife can survive and thrive together. “For better or worse, for rich or poor, in sickness and in health, till death us do part.” These are the types of enduring relationships that are built to last.

            Doctor Bill Burch is the senior minister at Sam Jones Memorial United Methodist Church in downtown Cartersville. www.samjonesumc.org

             One of the most popular and well beloved phrases of the advertising world is “New and Improved!” An already great product is now even better–buy one today! Savvy consumers, however, know that “new and improved” often packages two lies for the bargain price of one. What’s new is often the package, and what’s improved is frequently the profit.

            “Consumer Reports” has a monthly feature entitled “Selling It.” The section highlights “goofs, glitches, and gotchas” in advertising. Several years ago Kellogg’s announced the winner in the competition for a new shape in its “Apple Jacks” cereal. In case you missed it, blue carrots won over brown bananas and orange discs. However, the disclaimer on the box read: “Same great Jacks’ taste! No apple taste! No carrot taste!” The web site explained, “Kids don’t want ‘em to look or taste like apples or carrots!” “New and improved” turned out to be the same old thing. Nothing really changed.

Even when new and improved really IS new and improved, contrary humans often prefer the old way more. We become set in our ways and accustomed to the familiar. The only person who likes a change is a wet baby, and even she will scream about it!

Change is on our mind as a new year arrives. December 31 and January 1 are popular times for making New Year’s resolutions. We vow to become new and improved versions of ourselves. So we make promises about diets, exercise, habits, church, money, vocation, and avocation.

Resolutions born at midnight on New Year’s Eve, however, seldom survive the first forty-eight hours of reality. Habit is a hard master to overthrow. Even if a rut is only a grave with two ends knocked out, it is still our rut, comfortable and cozy. By mid-January, the new and improved version of our lives greatly resembles the old and not so improved model.

            However, God is in the business of making all things new. The Lord constantly calls us to transformation and change. In Isaiah 42: 9, the Lord declares, “See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.” Then our Lord invites us to join in the new thing that is being accomplished.

Jesus told his disciples, “Men do not pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins and both are preserved.” (Matthew 9: 17)

In New Testament times, goatskins were used to hold wine. As the fresh grape juice fermented, the new wineskins would stretch and eventually harden. However, new grape juice poured into old wineskins would burst the container. Jesus brings a newness that cannot be confined within the old ways of life. The fermenting, effervescent presence of the Holy Spirit calls us into a new and improved world. The process stretches who we are in our individual lives, congregations, and communities.

Change is possible. Miracles happen. The “same old, same old” of this world can become the “new and improved” of God’s kingdom. January 1 can be more than the start of a new year—it can also be the start of a new way of life. Happy New Year’s—to the new and improved you!

Dr. Bill Burch is the senior minister at Sam Jones Memorial United Methodist Church in downtown Cartersville. www.samjonesumc.org

            For the past several years, it has been my custom to share this poem on the Sunday after Christmas. I make no claims to be a poet, but the words seem quite appropriate in these final days of December. With apologies to Clement Moore, here is “The Day after Christmas.”

‘Twas the day after Christmas and all were asleep

The twenty-fifth had left them all tired and beat.

The stockings were slung carelessly on the floor

Stripped of their contents and of interest no more.

The children were exhausted, collapsed in their beds,

With visions of sleeping-in fixed in their heads.

And mama in her flannel and me with my mate,

Were in hopes that we too might get to sleep late.

When out in the front there arose such a racket

I sprang from my bed like a frightened jackrabbit.

I stubbed my big toe on the way to the door,

And set off the alarm system on the first floor.

The early sun’s light shone bright on the toys

Left in the front yard yesterday by my boys.

Then I saw a car splashing right through the muck,

A red, white and blue delivery truck.

My head was aching and my stomach felt ill,

As the postman delivered a hand full of bills!
The charges were listed in dollars and cents,

Payment would empty the United States’ mints.

Now, Visa! Now, Penney’s! Now, Macy’s and Rich’s!

On, Walmart! On, K-Mart! On Abercrombie and Fitch’s!

November and December we had a great ball,

Come January we owe something to all.

I made my way through a maze of presents piled high,

Looked again at the bills and gave a great sigh.

Turkey bones roosted on the dining room table,

Yesterday we ate all we were able.

I tried to turn on the new espresso maker,

Complete with a digital, alarm clock waker.

My family stumbled slowly down the stairs

As cordial as a den of hibernating bears.

I bent down to pet our faithful dog, Carl,

But he snapped at my fingers and let out a snarl.

My wife dressed quite quickly and shouted to all,

“I’m going bargain hunting all day at the mall!”

The children slammed the door behind them as well,

Going to friends’ homes for Christmas show and tell.

And I collapsed in my brand new easy chair,

To see how my favorite football teams would fare.

I held a glass of Alka-Seltzer firmly in my fist

Regretting last night’s snack I should have missed.

During halftime I arose from the recliner,

My team was ahead and the world seemed much finer.

Wading through the wrapping paper pilled knee high

Something on the mantle piece caught my eye.

Half hidden beneath discarded ribbons and bows:

The manger scene had been placed weeks ago.

Carefully clearing the bright paper away

I witnessed the reminder of that first Christmas day.

The Christ child rested in a bed simple and small

Sent by God into the world to save us all.

Nativity figures of that first silent night,

Made it quite clear what had been lost to sight.

“A Happy Christmas to all!” is because of God’s son,

On the day after, our Christmas has only begun.

            Dr. Bill Burch is the senior minister at Sam Jones Memorial United Methodist Church in downtown Cartersville. www.samjonesumc.org