Category: Story

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Lament for a Friend

Gary Furr

Fifteen years ago. On Easter weekend, I realized that I lost one of my best friends fifteen years ago. Like all losses, it alternates from being like yesterday to feeling like an eternity. He died, far too soon, at age 60 of a recurrence of a deadly cancer. Brilliant thinker, courageous pastor, unflinching leader. Philip Wise was a mentor, and encouraged my ministry for more than twenty years. He debated a future Pope, spoke out for racial justice and was a great preacher and teacher. On this anniversary, I want to share this remembrance, written in the midst of his … Continue reading Lament for a Friend

Alabama, change, Citizenship, Culture, Disease, Ethics, Healthcare, Institutions, Leadership, Poverty, Sickness and Health, Story, Theology and Life1 Comment

Taking Care of Our Own

Gary Furr

A friend mentioned to me recently that an out of state visitor saw our Alabama state motto, WE DARE TO DEFEND OUR RIGHTS on a sign and asked if it had been put there as a prank. No, he was told, that is really our motto. If you have lived here for a long time, you understand that we resist when others challenge us, no matter how well intentioned. Determination can help us in life, but it can work against you as life changes. I’d like to add another one: WE TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN. Two friends and I … Continue reading Taking Care of Our Own

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The Sign of Jonah

Gary Furr

                                        Matthew 12:38-41  Jonah 3:10-4:11 Sermon preached on Sunday, January 21, 2024, at Vestavia Hills Baptist Church by Gary Furr, pastor.           The majority of discussion about the book of Jonah in, unfortunately, has been about his adventure with the great fish.  “Great fish” is actually the translation of the Hebrew, so it is not possible to say with clarity whether it was a whale or some other great fish that swallowed Jonah. I said “unfortunately” on purpose.  That focus misses the whole point of the story!           The story of Jonah is about a stubborn prophet whose heart is resistant … Continue reading The Sign of Jonah

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Prayers for the Uninsured

Gary Furr

Offered at a vigil on the Alabama Capitol steps, April 4, 2023, after a day of appeals to legislators to help our uninsured citizens. We come to you, loving God, seeking healing for our sicknesses and balm for our wounds.  O Great Physician, examine us thoroughly through the powerful lens of your love, and heal all you see of brokenness or malice.  Hear, too, the cries of our hearts for those whom we know who need healing power in their lives whether in body or soul.  -adapted from A Guide to Prayer for All God’s People, p. 356. We have … Continue reading Prayers for the Uninsured

Story

Shadow Prayers Audiobook

Gary Furr

Dr. Gary Furr claims his “mind is like an entire cage full of monkeys on steroids.” Don’t take the joke. Here is authentic, pandemic-produced piety that stills the soul. It is a reminder of the spiritual gifts imposed by the virus: silence and solitude, a lighter load, new visions and innovations, and our aching, throbbing need for each other. Read it slowly. You will stop often, sometimes lingering long, to ponder your existence, to confront your moral shortfall, to pray for a nurse, or to remember the wall-to-wall pain in our world. They should have taught us to pray like … Continue reading Shadow Prayers Audiobook