Greensboro Blues

I am currently sitting in my luxurious (read cramped smoking room with coffee pot and shower) hotel in Greensboro, NC. I have a beautiful view of I-40 just inches outside my window. All the rooms are taken in town so yes, I did say smoking room. And no, I don't. They were nice enough to spray the air with scent before I arrived. Nothing like a field of daisies covered with nicotine to freshen up a room. I digress. I am here to listen and vote at the annual Southern Baptist Convention. Since Marilyn could not travel with me I have tried to get a front row seat on the shuttle bus so I can talk with the driver. Nothing like a captive audience. Some have wanted to talk. Others just grunt. We have just elected a new president, Frank Page. He seems like a nice guy. I didn't vote for him though. I voted for the man Johnny Hunt nominated, Ronnie Floyd. I figured if Pastor Hunt was for him so was I. It's not the first election I've lost and probably won't be the last. I enjoyed the first half of the Pastor's conference on Monday. It was held in another location and was more like the services at Dallas Bay. The music was either contemporary or hymns with new arrangements. The speakers were tie-less and the service was upbeat and edifying. The second half of Monday was at the convention center where the rest of the meetings are being held. They spent that afternoon praising the sacred ways of the past and asking why did we waste our time with the "contemporary services" earlier in the day. The mood was considerably more subdued than the earlier crowd. I would like to say more reverent, but it was really just quieter.
Things are looking up though. Tomorrow Casting Crowns will be leading in worship in the evening and a huge statue of Billy Graham will be unveiled. Condi Rice will address the convention from Washington in the morning. She is speaking instead of the annual talk from the president since he is busy overseas. So pray that tomorrow will be a little more spiritual and a lot less business as usual. The more I travel and experience other worship venues the more I look forward to getting back to Dallas Bay. So as I hum the last few bars of the "Greensboro Blues" (same tune as Statesboro Blues to all you Allman Bros. fans) I will leave you to go and pursue an authentic Chicago style pizza before returning to the convention. God bless.
Pastor Ken