Jay Adkins, occasional contributor here, was honored with an award as Citizen of the Year in his lovely town, Westwego, Louisiana. Well-deserved. Jay is the goateed guy on the left.
Some of the pastors I looked up to were of the school where the pastor was not only to represent God in the community but, seemingly, was to make himself odious in the community, since the world is going to Hell and he, alone, is there to fight sin and the devil. Others preferred to be ensconced in their paneled study, alone with the Almighty like Moses, and without the time to mix and mingle with ordinary citizens. Doesn’t the pastor/elder/overseer think it biblical to have a good reputation and relationships in the environment where he lives, works, preaches, and raises his family? I think so.
As the great Tarheel once said, church is all about relationships, and the more relationships the pastor makes with people in the community, the more successful he will be in modeling and preaching the Gospel.
I don’t know of a more personable guy than Jay Adkins. His bona fides include strong stands on critical issues, lest anyone thing him to be a superficial purveyor of common babbitry. Jay has more personality in his little finger than I have in my entire body.
Congratulations, Jay!
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It would be profitable for a pastor to take an occasional excursion into Upton Sinclair (Babbit) and Sinclair Lewis (Elmer Gantry).
No comment on Jay’s LSU error, but then one can’t say much until they lose a game. Jazz? Not a fan. Don’t understand it. Live and let live on that. New Orleans? Nice place for about two months of the year.
Congratulations Jay. This honor does not surprise anyone who has spent any time with Jay. Every time I have spoken with Jay I have come away encouraged.
Thanks, Dean, for your kind words. It was a big (and a bit embarrassing) surprise to see this post today.
I’ve always been jealous of William’s expansive vocabulary and now I’m on the receiving end of it having been acquitted of “common babbittry.” I’m honored to have been panegyrized in such a way.
Yeah, what Dean said! Congrats, Jay!
A mild literary quibble: both books are by Sinclair Lewis.
I had them both by Lewis and then edited in Sinclair. Embarrassed a bit by that. Thanks and feel free to give me a literary whipping.
Look for Elmer Gantry To appear on this site in a few days.