Author: aflcoker

I’m not sure what sparked this train, but a while ago I was thinking about drinking glasses. When I had the mumps as a child, my mother pampered me and let me use the blue Depression Glass set – small pitcher and glass on a tray. Somehow I broke the glass and have not been able to find a replacement. Many years later I found out all the Depression Glass I now have inherited is not what I thought. It’s actually the original glass that Depression Glass was designed after and placed in large laundry soap boxes. Not disappointed though, for I love the blue, green, and pink glass items I have.

Our second UMC appointment was in Lucedale, MS. We enjoyed visiting our members, learning their country ways. One summer afternoon Bill and I visited Joyce and sat outside while she went for a pitcher of cold water. She handed me a glass and filled it. I took my time drinking but noticed she was standing nearby and had not served Bill. She was waiting for me to finish so she could pour his drink into the same glass. Perhaps knowing that I grew up in the city will help you understand my surprise at this style of hospitality. Joyce became a dear friend, and even after we left that circuit, she would write a note in her Christmas card and include one or two dollars.

My mother’s father worked at the Crichton Ice and Fuel Company in Mobile, AL. Their slogan: “Keep cool in summer; warm in winter.” For advertisement the company distributed small drinking glasses etched with “Ice – Coal – Wood,” and we liked to read it thus: “ice cold wood.” These days we buy ice in bags for ice-chests; but in my grandfather’s day they sold blocks of ice for the ice box, the forerunner of the refrigerator (for you young readers). For perhaps ten years after my parents married, they owned an ice box and had ice delivered to the house. My mother must have thought having an electric refrigerator would dishonor her dad, even though he had died when she was a teenager. Anyway, those in our family who have one of those small glasses consider them a treasure.

“We dare to ask, O Lord, that Your Spirit fall afresh upon us with all His quickening powers; that He shed abroad our Savior’s love and kindle a flame of love in our cold hearts. Save us from offering to You only a form of worship without any real joy; deliver us from those secret sins and petty vices which keep us from knowing the peace that passes understanding and the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge; redeem us from those habits of body and mind which make it difficult for the fruits of the Spirit to grow in us; rescue us from the bondage of past sins and bad experiences which keeps us from living victoriously in present circumstances.” (William B. Coker, Sr., World Gospel Church, 4-18-1993)

Having been a teacher and professor, I had the privilege of challenging my students to think, even though some of them had little interest to do so. In my years as a pastor, the sermons I presented to our parishioners were intended to make them think. The Scriptures challenge us to use our minds, because faith rests on knowing and understanding what we believe.

In one of the greatest books in the Old Testament, Deuteronomy, the author challenges his readers to think in order to believe, a necessity for living out their faith in God. An example is in chapter 10, verses 12-13: And now, Israel, what does the Lord our God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good.

In the New Testament the Apostle Paul likewise challenged the Corinthians in his second letter to examine themselves to see whether they were in the faith: Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you – unless indeed you fail to meet the test? (3:5).

We too need to test ourselves as these scriptures suggested centuries ago. Consider my questions:

1. When did you make a personal decision about Jesus Christ?
2. Do you have a rational and personal conviction about your commitment to Christ?
3. Do you have faith in God, a certainty & confidence in all circumstances?
4. What do you think your commitment to Christ means?
5. What are your strongest spiritual desires?
6. What is your participation in the body of Christ?
7. What is your level of concern for others?
8. What about the acid test – “Thy will be done”?                   W.B. Coker, Sr.

I read verses in my Bible and connect them with other verses. Something in Sunday’s sermon sparked my interest — that Satan sent Jesus to the cross. Yes, but there are connectors. John 13:2 & 27 confirm that “the devil had already prompted Judas… to betray Jesus” and “Satan entered into Judas.” But coupled with that is Jesus willingly giving Himself to the cross: “I lay down my life…I lay it down on My own” (John 10:15, 18). Jesus made His own decision to go to the cross. Satan could not make Jesus go to the cross without His permission. We know that Jesus holds all authority. It was proven during the temptation in the wilderness and in the Garden of Gethsemane. “Not My will, but Thine” was His prayer to the Father (Mark 14:36). Jesus allowed Satan to have his/His way. These ways are connected in the Father’s divine plan.

Written June 1998, revised March 2017 — “You are complete in Him” (Colossians 2:10).

“Even as the architect’s model is planned, prepared and completed in his office, so the perfect pattern of the life of holy service, for which Jesus has redeemed and called us, is now in Him in heaven. But now it must be formed in us and transferred to our earthly lives, and this is the work of the Holy Spirit.” — A.B. Simpson, Days of Heaven on Earth

Our architect completed the plans for our home. Working with these plans, even the measurements of distance between a pipe and a drain, the contractors relayed the plan to each member of the work teams. As the basement crew worked, they had to follow the plan — the depth of the exterior drainage as well as the height of the walls and placement values between them.

Without a completed plan, any and all the work would be off-scale and affect the whole. One miscalculation, one ‘doing it my way,’ second-guessing the architect, would make for a lop-sided house in the end. Yet while there are specifics, certain choices are interrelated within the whole. Even where a light fixture goes affects the laying of insulation.

So much of this is a metaphor for life. God has the blueprint and it’s His way that completes the finished product. The Holy Spirit works according to the divine plan and each decision we make affects the progress and the whole work. All choices are interrelated, even those minor, non-eternal ones, for we are whole persons and God has designed us so.

May I continually and faithfully look to Him and seek the Master design, making the right choices for a life that pleases God — “complete in Him.” ~ALC

Parsonages are different in various states. In Mississippi they were furnished, even though not the best offerings, usually from parishioners who were getting newer items in their own homes or perhaps from sales at local department stores. But we had no complaints; we had nothing of our own to bring to these parsonages.

Newly married, I moved to our first home in North Biloxi, Mississippi. Bill had already lived there for about three months. The living room had a green Naugahyde sofa, coffee table and a few occasional chairs. An upright piano stood against the wall opposite the sofa. A dining room table, seating six, situated at the far end of the living room near the door to the kitchen, always held a flower arrangement. Two bedrooms, one bathroom, and kitchen finished out the house, except for a small room Bill used for a study with a desk and only one bookcase.

The small back yard had room for a couple of rabbit hutches. We raised them to eat. One we gave to a young girl at church and told her it was a pet bunny, not one of the eating rabbits. Bill’s Aunt Roberta gave me some flowers and ferns, my introduction to gardening.

The parsonage was located not far behind the church, so we walked to the services. We married on a Saturday, spent our wedding night at the parsonage, went to church that Sunday morning and had quarterly conference with the district superintendent that evening. No regrets about not having a “proper honeymoon.” As Bill and I walked over to the church that morning some of the older men greeted us outside. One said to Bill, “At least you got a wife who is shorter than you.”

We found out later that the women of the church had a difference of opinion. The older women wanted to invite us to a home for Sunday dinner; the younger ladies thought we should want time alone at the parsonage. We would have preferred to go to someone’s home, but we returned to our own. I fried chicken and Bill taught me how to make gravy.

Kentucky and Indiana parsonages are not furnished. Before I arrived at our first parsonage in Kentucky (waiting in Alabama for our second son to arrive), Bill purchased a house full of furniture, expanding monthly payments in our budget. Now I look around our present home and there are only a few items of furniture from that purchase. We have an abundant supply, and soon to make the decision to downsize. Now with built-in book shelves in three rooms, where will all our books lodge? What furniture will we give away or store? We want a smaller house, but furnished adequately for our needs. ~ALC

In a conversation with a teenage girl who wanted to know if there is a God: “Suppose you convince me there isn’t a God.  It shouldn’t be hard. . . . Suppose you go back to the polliwogs and account for everything some other way. Begin with the sun and the moon and the stars and that rosebud and those oranges and the hummingbird. Tell me where order came from, and the very first seed of life. Tell about Abstracts; the need to protect the weak, to grow in knowledge, to stand up for what is right and the shame that comes from doing wrong. The human race, not all of it but those farthest from the polliwog, possesses these traits and if they don’t come  from a Higher Power, where do they come from? And tell me, if there is no God, what was it that changed me and my habits? I’m not exactly a pushover. . . . Finally, if there is no God, tell me why you and I bother to talk about Him? Nobody’s ever seen Him and His Son died two thousand years ago so what is all this? Who ever got such a silly notion and why does it hang on? . . .  There simply had to be Something bigger than ourselves! Unless there was a God, the entire setup was luck, luck or else we ourselves were gods and both were crazy. Luck could not be counted on and Universal Laws could be counted on. And we, well, we weren’t gods! So–so He had to be.” — The Late Liz by Elizabeth Burns (pseudo name for Gertrude Behanna)

A number of years ago a book opened my eyes and challenged my thinking. It was Radical Son, written by David Horowitz. The book is an autobiographical account of the author’s journey from Marxism to neo-conservatism. I believe it should be required reading for every person concerned about the ideological drift which is moving our country away from its historical roots.

I must admit that I found the book to be infuriating at times, as Horowitz unfolded his attempt to undermine the political structure of the nation and bring about revolution. I found it enlightening as he exposed the methodology of the Left and the violent means which some were ready to pursue in order to make the revolution happen. I found it to be incisive in its de-evaluation of Marxism as a promising ideology for those seeking justice and equality.

What really struck me, however, was the unwillingness to those on the Left to see the truth about itself and admit the failure of Marxism to create a stable and equitable society in any of the countries where it had seized control. They did just as Paul de­scribed in Romans: They suppressed the truth and exchanged the truth for a lie.

In the process of being infuriated and distressed by the unwill­ingness of intelligent people to see and admit the truth, I found myself being discomforted by the fact that those of us who oppose Marxism and who call ourselves disciples of Jesus may be no less guilty for being unwilling to confront truth. I thought of how often I had gone along with ideas and positions of the theologi­cal conservatism with which I had identified myself, when in my heart I was not convinced that we were right.  I didn’t want to see what was not agreeable to what we said was the truth; and I didn’t speak up even when I was uneasy about conclusions which were being drawn.

When we come down to it, the whole issue is a matter of integri­ty: the willingness to ask ourselves the really hard questions and seek to answer them with a total commitment to the truth.  Without integrity, everything else is cheapened, even the truth which we may be seeking to espouse.

If Jesus taught His disciples anything, He taught them that He was the truth; that they would know the truth, and the truth would make them free; and that they would proclaim the truth to a world that was in the darkness of untruth.

Yet, the truth often has been the victim of convenience, the lamb offered up for faith, and the sacrifice for convictions felt to be right. The end has too frequently justified the means, and the cause has all too readily been used to mute the voice of reasoned conviction.

Of one thing we can be certain however: Jesus is never served by cutting the corners on the truth or by softening the blow of truth against traditions and practices which may be considered sacrosanct. At whatever point we feel it necessary to close our eyes to what is clearly to be seen or to close our minds to what is obviously to be thought, we have done the Gospel of Jesus a terrible disservice and have sold our own integrity for a cheap victory.

The world can be expected to sacrifice honor for gain, to ex­change truth for convenience, to sell out its moral standards for tawdry pleasures and its integrity for apparent advantages.  We, as Christ followers, must not.            William B. Coker, Sr.

As an 18-yr-old I left my family in Alabama at the invitation of a college grad and followed him to Mississippi. I never would have dreamed the path we have taken. For where we’ve been and those whom we’ve met have convinced me that God has a plan for each of us.

First of all Bill and I added four children to make a family. We reared these to be independent and we are not disappointed in their work ethic and accomplishments. They have added to our tribe ten grandchildren and soon to be twelve great-grandchildren.

Bill has pastored churches in Mississippi, Kentucky, and Indiana, providing us with good homes while he also earned three degrees. We are still in touch with many of these beautiful church people. At our first church Bill also taught high school English and some of these students still connect with Christmas cards. One student dedicated her PhD dissertation to Bill.

Bill’s teaching at Asbury College afforded me a college degree, 20 years after my high school graduation. That opened the door to work in journalism, a career I’ve revisited.

The never-dreamed-about life has included trips to other countries, such as Mexico, India, the Far East, Africa, and Israel. These brought most humbling experiences as people thanked us for coming, as if it were any sacrifice. A new perspective of values highlighted these trips.

Along the way we have made friends with prominent as well as common but generous people. For example, I would not have imagined that I’d know such leaders as Dr. Robert Coleman and have the privilege to pray weekly with his wife and several missionaries. It’s not uncommon to receive acknowledgement by church members who have appreciated our service.

We are grateful for all that the Lord has given us in friendships and opportunities. That seems trite as I write it, but it’s a big deal to me. God is good – all the time.

How stories are developed:

• Woman                                                                        Boy
• in late 30’s                                                           about 10 years old
• light clothing                                                      dark clothes
• arms folded tight above waistline                arms straight and limp
• looking down, head to side                             looking up
• talking                                                                   listening
• questioning or scolding                                   waiting to answer
• authority figure                                                  minor/submissive
• not flailing but calm                                         not defiant
• seizing the moment                                          sensing importance

Saturday in April 1999

A fleeting scene made an impression begging to be described, cherished, tucked away for future use. Driving in Mobile, Alabama, I saw a woman and a boy on the sidewalk of Sage Avenue. Details are such that they lend themselves to a story:

Maybe the woman was the boy’s mother, but she could have been a neighbor or a sitter. Their stance spoke of a moment seized to teach a lesson, to question behavior and give opportunity for an answer. While she was the authority figure, the boy was not defiant. She kept her temper, making it possible for him to keep his dignity. If the boy had been caught in disobedience, he certainly did not display any stubborn will, but waited either to explain himself, give an answer, or even to accept the due punishment. Her folded arms and his limp arms placed the two in a representative stance of adult with minor, mother and child. They both knew the importance of this encounter. Why the confrontation I could only guess, but the fleeting scene captured my attention as I drove away, and I can still see it now. The desire to weave a story around it remains yet to be done.