God be praised for another day in the presence of God in corporate worship on the Lord’s Day!
After a long and tedious week, I had the joyful privilege of having my uncle, Rev. Lloyd Anthony Pullam, with us at the Mt. Salem Church to share in the preaching of God’s Word. What a treat! Uncle Lloyd is my favorite uncle. He is my Dad’s eldest brother; and he has always been a mainstay for myself and my ministry. Though he has lived in the Dallas/Fort Worth area since I’ve been able to recall, he would always show up and be marked present at my first sermon, wedding, pastoral anniversaries, etc.
Back in 2010, Uncle Lloyd had a stroke that affected him physically and eventually led to his retiring after 26 years of pastoral leadership at the historic St. Emmanuel Baptist Church in Denton, Texas. Literally, I wouldn’t be married to D’Ani today without him (Long story!). While his stroke affected him physically, it did not affect his mind or his preaching. So, he came and he preached! The title of his message was “The Unfinished Business of the Church”. His texts: John 17:1-4; John 19:30; 2 Timothy 4:7; Matthew 28:18-19. We were blessed as a result of his sharing in the faithful preaching of God’s Word. I thank God for him; and his willingness to come and share with the Pastor and People of our congregation.
Seeing the after-effects of my uncle’s illness served as an eye-opener and awakening for me a few years ago. Being a pastor, in and of itself, is a loathsome task in regard to the stewardship of one’s body and health. In the church, particularly in the south, parishioners of various cultures wouldn’t give the preacher much money; but they would give him a plate of food and bake him a cake. While we live in a different time, that tradition has continued in any given local church. And while partaking of some of these ‘treats’ aren’t off of the proverbial table to many pastors; simply put – eating whatever you want to eat AND not taking care of one’s self is a cardinal sin. I have and am learning to accept what our wonderful parishioners give, eat a little and share the remainder. Living with a wife who will not eat sweets, and sons who have yet to appreciate a pound cake or peach cobbler from scratch – it only invites danger to bring these things home with me! As a result of this lifestyle change, I have seen how far I’ve come, and how far I have yet to go. I owe it to giants in the faith, as my father, uncle, wife, sons and others to look after myself, protect my “temple”, guard what comes in and goes out and improve the quality of my life for the long-haul . That being said, I only hope to be as much of a blessing to these ‘giants’ who’ve been such a blessing to me; and enhance their life as they’ve enhanced my own. I believe my Uncle’s story is not over. I am looking forward to him utilizing the gifts God has given him to write, publish and contribute his knowledge and experience working in Christian Education, College/Student Ministry and Music Minsitry to assist local congregations.
I am looking forward to sharing on the last Lord’s Day of this year. It is always a struggle in preparing to preach the last Sunday of the year, for me. I am always pressed for time, doing last minute shopping, performing my list of honey-do’s, as well as looking after little ones who are out of school for the remaining year. Now it is Monday; and I am still grappling with various texts. If you’re reading this, please keep me in your prayers, as I will for you. I would love to hear from you, read your thoughts and ask that you share this blog with someone who would be helped. May you have a great week, celebrating the birth of Christ!
Kraig Lowell Pullam 