Alden Gallimore
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Altavista, Va. and Navy Reserve Chaplain in Training
"He has told you, O mortal, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?"
– Micah 6:8 (NRSVUE)
What is saving my life right now? It’s a big question, and one I struggle to answer. I could say many things are saving my life right now. I often tell my congregation that we live during a difficult time in history and the evening news is sure to remind us. My hope is that the other contributors and whoever reads this will have a more straightforward answer by the end.
If I had to choose one thing right now, it would be the personal growth and meditative moments created through reading books. As a minister, part of my role is to offer meaningful reflections for my congregation’s spiritual growth. However, sometimes those meaningful reflections can be hard to find for my own development and respite. This is where the reading of books fills a life-giving need for me.
I’m sure many people could say they enjoy reading; but there’s one difference: I’m not really a reader. As a child, I would often fall asleep while reading anything. But as an adult and now as a minister, when I find an interesting book that provides meaningful reflection, I can’t put it down!
Lately, I have learned to carry the book I am currently reading wherever I go, just so I can read another chapter at every opportunity. Through this habit, I have learned more about the world and myself in a way that screen-based content cannot offer. Once I finish a reading session and put the book down, I feel more refreshed and prepared to take on the world!
Of course, I’m sure you are curious about what I’ve been reading. Lately, there have been two books that have made an impact: David Gushee’s Still Christian and Forgive for Good by Fred Luskin.
I was late getting to Still Christian; so many of you have already read it. What resonated most with me is that while we may sometimes feel alone in our ministry efforts, we are not. Balancing Baptist life in a post-evangelical world while still serving in the evangelical realm is burdensome, to say the least, but I am grateful to know I’m not alone in my role. In what feels like a world of fundamentalists, it’s a challenge to be a different kind of Baptist.
Pray, Practice, Ponder
Before you continue with your day, go read something. It can be anything. Take a book off a shelf, fire up your e-reader or find an interesting article. You’ll be glad you did. I’m sure something will speak to you, because now you are looking for it. Remember that you are not alone in this world.
Pray...Give...Go.
