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Psalm 66:2) May God be gracious and bless us; and let his face shed its light upon us.

Repeat Antiphon by 1 and 2:

The Reproaches:

I.



1 and 2: My people, what have I done to you How have I offended you? Answer me!

1: I led you out of Egypt, from slavery to freedom, but you led your Savior to the cross.

2: My people, what have I done to you? How have I offended you? Answer me!

1: Holy is God! 2: Holy and strong! 1: Holy immortal One, have mercy on us!

1 and 2: For forty years I led you safely through the desert. I fed you with manna from heaven,ù and brought you to a land of plenty; but you led your Savior to the cross.

Repeat "Holy is God..."

1 and 2: What more could I have done for you. I planted you as my fairest vine, but you yielded only bitterness: when I was thirsty you gave me vinegar to drink, and you pierced your Savior with a lance.

Repeat "Holy is God..."

II.

1: For your sake I scourged your captors and their firstborn sons, but you brought your scourges down on me.

(Repeated throughout by Choir 2) 2: My people, what have I done to you? How have I offended you? Answer me!

1: I led you from slavery to freedom and drowned your captors in the sea, but you handed me over to your high priests. 2: "My people...."

1: I opened the sea before you, but you opened my side with a spear. 2: "My people...."

1: I led you on your way in a pillar of cloud, but you led me to Pilate's court. 2: "My people...."

1: I bore you up with manna in the desert, but you struck me down and scourged me. 2: "My people...."

1: I gave you saving water from the rock, but you gave me gall and vinegar to drink. 2: "My people...."

1: For you I struck down the kings of Canaan. but you struck my head with a reed. 2: "My people...."

1: I gave you a royal scepter, but you gave me a crown of thorns. 2: "My people...."

1: I raised you to the height of majesty, but you have raised me high on a cross. 2: "My people...."

www.facebook.com/alabamaheritage

Posted on site today about the Collinsville Historical Association. Also had great chat with a young history proff about his experience with small town History museums

Study Club and Baptist Church:

http://ethicsdaily.com/racial-equality- ... -cms-21057

Was listening to 93.1 rock as I was taking the detour through Collinsville today. Right past Brett Gifford's house before I got to the Shooger boo'g's and her neighbor Pedro Joe Cocker Get By With a Little Help from my friends came on the Radio. Proceeded on through the right turn over the rr tracks past the renovated Lybury on the right singing along and there tragically on the left in front of Nessa's was her taking a cigarette break and Ms Wilkins. It was those two who went to Deacon Donnie Myers to begin the churchin process according to Deacon Myers who until retirement moonlighted as Vice Supe of DeKalb County Schools.

But they couldn't hurt me today. Had some serendipitous conversations this morning with my Sister, some congressional staffers and friends, one of whose father was Marshall Frady's boss at Atlanta bureau of Newsweek in the 60's. We talked about "In Birmingham They Love the Governor" of bplonline.org; a panel coming up on Monday featuring Dan Carter of Emory and two other historians. Carter taught Brent McDougal, former Ex dir of Bama CBF at Emory. What a treat, only five folks in the class--low student teacher ratio master's class-- as Brent told me himself.

I hope to be present from Monday's panel, if the Lord Tarries

I attended last night. Liberty Baptist was in charge of the music and Sister Trinka Payton did a grand job on the keyboard. I was all in for Heaven's Jubilee. About 70 present, just a few from Collinsville Baptist. The Asst Ex Dir of the Historical Association was present as well as recent Deacon Board Chair of Collinsville BC.

Good service; though a little long at 2 hours. Visiting evangelist for the week, a United Methodist woulda been welcome at West Rome. Strong preacher, kind of in the Rick Warren vein. Was strong on David's origins, you can make a difference no matter where you come from from if you paint outside the lines. Altar call about ten minutes.

Good people though I doubt more than 7 in the room voted Obama.

Were almost a matter of doctrine for the pastor and his wife during my stay at Collinsville Baptist, though they appear to be struck mute on matters of Immigration Reform and the Dream Act.

Here is a piece I hope some of what's left of thinking members in the congregation will take note:

http://abpnews.com/opinion/commentaries ... jDKop3naCg

Also "mendacity" as charged in the New Republic Christine Stansell piece I have to hope the pastor will reference as part of this month long annual Sunday School focus at the expense of Civil Rights History third week in January and following.

I have a blog up this morning a work in progress stoked by the 50th Anniversary of the Bombing of the 16th Street BC in Bham yesterday. I had every heart stirring intention of being present yesterday but my ride had to go back to South Carolina to be near a gravely ill parent. A friend in Bham had his two sons present along with their Grandfather.

Between this post and my blogs for today I think I will have some material worthy of your consideration. For starters here is how things are playing at Nick Saban's University as they have developed last week. Stay tune as I bring House Speaker Mike Hubbard and Selma's Rose Sanders into this conversation intermingling with the NPR story yesterday morning with the Provocative Quote by the PUlitzer Prize winner about Will Campbell's friend Chuck Morgan.

http://jezebel.com/university-of-alabam ... 1294674764

His Ass out of Town" That's Putlizter Diane McWhorter from a link below yesterday on NPR talking about Will Campbell's friend Chuck Morgan and the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church. I had a grand blog conflating it all with Collinsville and the Memorial yesterday in Bham and spending 90 minute lunch with the new UMC Bishop of North Alabama and her Vision for the conference but it got zapped, even after I had put Bama house Speaker on notice I was gonna broach his name.

One of the more memorable experiences I've had in my 27 year stay in Alabama it got lost with one little finger miscue on the keyboard.

Oh Well, I did share a table with Judge Randall Cole and that was interesting conversation as well. Got a great link I will share about the Bishop later-her reference to the Book The Butler Way--but now the NPR link while I recuperate from my miscue:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/codeswitch/201 ... ly-divided

Even Brought in a Utah Republican for this mess

http://www.goupstate.com/article/201309 ... us-message

Here is a letter I just submitted to Ft Payne Bama Times Journal re the New Bishop:

Letters for Publication
Ft Payne Times-Journal


The Editors:

My Dad was a Baptist preacher and fond of the motto Keep the Main Thing, the Main Thing. The New UMC Bishop for North Alabama Debra Wallace-Padgett did a great job of following that maxim in her presentation Monday at FUMC I sat in on. She is going to be a force.
One quick aside, that was some coverage the T-J gave her with two front page above the fold stories. But as I sat and listened--she had a great aside about the basketball book The Butler Way, and I later turned up an online oral history of her days on the team at Berea College--I'm satisfied she is worthy; but it does give the appearance of an inside job with the T-J. (smile)

That said, she did a grand job on First Principles. And I couldn't help thinking she would be comfortable in any board room in America. I'm a great fan of the Episcopalian minister Fleming Rutledge, having read two collections of her sermons. If I'd never met Rev Rutledge and someone had told me Monday DWP was her, I woulda believed them.

Her focus was not politics but she is on the record that the Methodist Tradition not only advances Personal Holiness but Social Justice. As Immigration reform is before the United States House, I am hoping that the New Bishop shows continuity with immediate past Bishop Willimon in advancing the cause in realpolitik as the time is now.
Willimon's book about his Stay in Bama, The Bishop, spotlights his differences with House Speaker Hubbard, a United Methodist in good standing at FUMC Auburn, as well as Baptist Deacon Governor Bentley.

I am hoping some Congressional Staffers of Faith from D.C can come to the area soon to examine immigration reform in this key moment. I hope if not the Bishop herself, some of her assistants as well as a strong showing of folks across the spectrum of faith will be present if the event happens.

In the meantime for all who were in the room Monday as well as Christians who have an inkling about Justice matters and the Gospel google two key piece: Willimon repents, ethics daily; and Miguel de la Torre, abpnews.com, flawed Senate Immigration bill.

The latter is a template for what I think Bishops Willimon and Debra Wallace Padgett would construct had their career path taken them to the US House of Representatives.

Sincerely,


Stephen M. Fox

I met Mr. Cecil Hamiter in the late 80s when Cecil Sherman came through Gadsden to speak about the CBF. Mr. Hamiter had been on a national SBC board for Hospitals and was familiar with Sherman and the mess that birthed CBF. His pastor at Twelth St BC Gadsden Troy Morrison was later to become Ex Dir of Bama Baptists where he was an appeaser to fundamentalist forces, in my opinion. Even so Samford came through the State Convention mess with a gimped relationship to Bama Baptists, if you consider current President Westmoreland's daughter's affection for the politics of Mike Huckabee an honest compromise.

Hamiter's son for 15 years or so was a member of Collinsville Baptist. He became a deacon there in the mid 90s. With his father's history, his wife's good sense, and though she raised Presbyterian their instincts for a good course for Baptists was one of the ingredients that gave me hope Collinsville Baptist might course correct itself away from SBC fundamentalism.

But it did not turn out that way. Several other brighter lights drifted away from the congregation and my stand for Smyth and Helwys SS lit didn't come to a good end.

Even so here is a grand tribute to Mr. Cecil Hamiter as it appeared on the front page of the Gadsden Times yesterday:

http://www.gadsdentimes.com/article/201 ... w-hospital

Randall Balmer was Matthew's visiting lecture at Yale. June 2 Four Morgans were in the room with Balmer for President Carter's SS Class in Plains.

Balmer has dissected the "disingenuity and mendacity" of Billy Graham and Pastor John Morgan's theological mentor Francis Scheaefer the last 24 hours in lectures at Samford.

www.randallbalmer.com

Also see Colin Harris on ideology and idolatry at www.ethicsdaily.com

CBC, Liberty and other churches were subject of a front page story in the Alabama Baptist in the last three weeks on the Hispanic Mission work in NE Bama. And on Friday October 4 my guest column was published taking the left side of the opinion page of the Ft Payne, Alabama Time Journal.

But there is a tremendous disconnect between the strategies of the Bama Baptist cover story and the real politik of immigration reform suggested in my opinion piece. About as big a chasm as was in the room when David Currie and Mark Baggett came to Collinsville in Feb 2002 to discuss the need to break with the SBC and go with the CBF if Collinsville Baptist was to have its most mature witness for Baptist ID and Christendom.

Trinka, an Auburn grad, active with the local Hispanic community is now by marriage distantly related to Wilmer C. Fields, former head of Baptist Press. His son Randy was on stage in October 1990 with David Montoya and Judge Pressler. A samford Event. I was key behind the scenes in organizing the event, all of which went under the radar of local Babdissts.

http://www.al.com/opinion/index.ssf/201 ... and_h.html

Also see my blog for today

Here is the Second:

http://foxofbama.blogspot.com/2013/10/b ... marks.html

At least on the vote of May 28, 2006. Jackie Myers, who with his brother Donnie, a former vice supe of DeKalb Co Schools, told me Friday night at the football game he and his brother Donnie voted to keep me on the grounds of the CBC in 2006. In the fall of 2003 they did the bidding of some women in the church and served notice on me my activities were causing friction among some of the diehards. The vote of May 28 was 32-20 at my expense.

Also. Today I posted this blog about House Speaker Mike Hubbard who had some folks in town last week

http://foxofbama.blogspot.com/2013/10/o ... d-and.html

Good time in Collinsville last night. Mains Street was blocked of for Trunk or Treat, something Collinsville does well. Had good time with some Methodist youth and the Presbyterians and banter about Bobby Welch with some assistants at the Historical Association display. Even had a fellow with a Shofar there in case Paige Patterson had dropped in. I helped him network soon, even recommended a librarian in Huntsville, Al for him to contact. He got his shofar off the head of a Kudu.

Some intrigue re Mike Huckabee and facebook discussions in the Public square. Seems a dissenting opinion will get you blocked for Rudeness and that apparently from a parishioner of a church whose pastor was saying all kind of things about President Obama from the Pulpit back in the summer. Innuendos and veiled threats come pouring out of the Christian community in a hurry. Civil War and resistance to the Tea Party has deep underbelly of resentment it appears in Collinsville.

I'm glad Donnie and Jackie voted for me May 28, 2006. Just seven more votes and I could still be singing the songs of Zion in the room where Momma got baptized!


Oh best local costume last night goes to Chloe Payton who did her trunk or treating at Liberty Baptist. I saw her at the after party where she was spittin image of my Aunt Eugenia at that age, which for Aunt Jean woulda been about 1927; Aunt Jean or Evelyn Couch, the jury is still deliberating.

Sounds like a good time.

Whose the librarian in Huntsville?

Not sure which, beautiful young woman. Father former Mayor here in town, but their spiritual disposition is not inclined toward Weatherly Heights in my estimation. Tnanks for Asking, which reminds me to contact her. If something comes of I may ask if you can be a special guest for the Shofar presentation.

Big weekend in Collinsvlle. I went to the Methodist Soup and Cracker fundraiser today and sat down in Fellowship with some Baptists and other folks in town with whom I had not been in a church house in several years. Noboday got hurt but it did get dicey when I was scoopin out the bowl of chili beside a woman who was one of the two the Preacher's wife sent Donnie and Jackie Myers to bring charges in fall of 2003. However Donnie and Jackie were of two opinions as both voted in the minority to keep me on church grounds May 28,2006.

And there is only one college graduate on the current Library board.

But the Turkey Trot is tomorrow, Miss Tuskegee has liked my patriotic testimony on the Facebook wall of the local Prez of the PTO and I had a good conversation with an assistant principal this morning about possible educational events in 2014.

http://WWW.danielalarcon.com was in Bham last night

And the weather is good. Some folks still don't speak even one who allegedly recently accepted Jesus as His Saviour; but some do and had good conversation on a possible ride as far as Jackson, Co Georgia for Thanksgiving.