Banana Bread Birthday Ministry

Soul Food from the Heart

My sixtyfourth birthday was this past weekend.  It was a watershed moment for me,  a date I had been thinking about for a long time. When I was 12 years old my father Harold B. Bosworth died of heart failure just prior to his sixty fourth birthday.  He died suddenly a long way from home. 

I am writing about it because the experience from a child's eyes laid a footing for the foundation of my life. My stand out memories from this seminal event flow in vivid recollection.

- Standing on Miami Shores Community Center's practice field with my pee-wee football team watching the train pass by that was carrying my mom and dad to New York for a business conference.

-Answering the upstairs phone in my brother Marty's room simultaneously with my Aunt Betty(see "Majestic Messengers" post on this blog) and hearing dad's boss Bill Ruben say, "Betty things are not so good up here, Harold passed away this morning." I heard the phone drop and Aunt Betty wail.

-Riding in the back seat of the funeral procession limo and looking out the window seeing my friends with their families.

- Our Trinity Episcopal Church filled like I have never seen it before just beyond the parking lot of the Jordan Marsh that my Dad ran.

I am not sure for how long it has been important for me to reach 64, probably since I got sober and stopped trying to kill myself.  Maybe it came from looking back on some of my youthful behavior and realizing what great odds I had beaten just to become a mature adult.

I was angry at my father for along time.  I blamed him for conceiving me at such an age that it would deprive me of his influence and council in later years.  I missed being able to take advantage of his great wisdom and business sense.

By outliving my father I broke a cycle as his father had also died when Harold was a young man.  By braking this cycle I have started a new one where I can share my wisdom with my wonderful daughters.  I can be an example to them as they grow and God willing for my grandchildren some day.

It was not just the age milestone that made this birthday special it was all the people in my life now and all the people God has placed as guides along the way.  We all have these guides some whose names we know and some we know not yet.

One who is a guide to many inside of our Smyrna First UMC and outside in the community is David.
And his banana bread is out of this world.

Amen Brother

Bradford Bosworth
May 2016

Friends in Low Places

Low Sunday Praises

Over the past few months I have learned that a gentleman who works in the same business as me and also owns a Harley-Davidson, is an ordained Minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). He moonlights as a Pastor at Brookhaven Christian Church in Atlanta.  I am convinced now that he is around to- as they say - "keep me honest."  For it is in the business environment where I struggle in my faith and spirituality the most. Knowing that David has one of those "Rev's" in front of his name makes me more aware of my actions.More importantly, I had known and worked with David for a few months before he revealed to me his credentials.  My only hope now is that my pre-knowledge behavior does not differ greatly from my post- knowledge behavior! 

A few weeks ago he alerted me to the fact that he would be delivering the message for the 11 am service at his church on Sunday April 3rd. I quickly put it in my calendar to attend. I also had to recruit a replacement for me as an Usher at our Smyrna First UMC 11am service. Easy enough I thought.

In early March I was part of the servant team on Men's North Georgia Walk to Emmaus #176. Over the course of that experience I met a young man named De'Shun. Spending much time with him, I learned  this new friend is a Divinity student serving an Internship at Midway United Methodist in Alpharetta, Georgia.

In the course of a few short weeks I realized a friendship with two men who would be Priests and along with me and many more - members of the priesthood of all believers!

Holy Week I received a text from "D" as I like to call De'Shun. He was delivering the April 3rd message at Midway! I was joyed for him but hard pressed to figure out how could both of these friends, he and David,  be preaching on the same day?  I wanted to be there to listen.  I wonder at God's timing and am convinced there are no coincidences only miracles!

Fortunately "D" would preach an 8:30am message at the beautiful old Church (above) which is actually closer to Cumming than Alpharetta.  I would be able hear him then travel to Brookhaven for David's talk and on top of that blessing have a nice spiritually lifting motorcycle ride!

I experienced some anxiousness as the date approached. I was second guessing my decision to try to accomplish attendance at two Church services over a course of 60+ miles in the same morning. With an already full schedule, I was beginning to have doubts. How does it happen that these two friends would end up in the pulpit on the very same day? All along I knew certainly I needed to be there for both.

At the Midway early service I learned that this Sunday April 3rd (First Sunday after Easter) was also know in many Churches as "Associate Pastor Day" and that many folks like D'Shun would be honing their preaching skills on this day. In fact, I would learn later that, at our SFUMC, the Youth Ministries Pastor- Leslie- spoke at our  9:55 Alive service. I also learned from the gracious and hospitable members of Midway how much they love D'Shun! More importantly I became aware that "D's" sermon was his proverbial "swan song" at this Church as he moves into the next phase of his Faith Walk. He did a great job! The Holy Spirit showed me how important it was that I was there.

Before going to Brookhaven, I met up with my good friend Donna and we rode together for this service. I have told David about Donna and how one of the highlights of our relationship is holding hands in Church! He had said that his Mom and Dad like to hold hands in church. They would also be there to hear his message after driving from their home in Florida.

It just so happens  that David was preaching from the Lectionary and he taught us that this message from the Gospel of John, Chapter 20  is unique to the rotating 3 year Revised Common Lectionary in that it falls every year in the week following Easter. Of course it contains the story of the Apostle Thomas after the resurrection. You know about doubting Thomas, right? David said, " Thomas got a bad rap."  His sermon was titled, "Can you believe it?"

One other thing I learned from Rev David was that it is common in many protestant Churches that the first Sunday after Easter is known as "Low Sunday" because it usually the lowest attendance day of the year.  

I am grateful I have friends in low places.

Amen

Bradford Bosworth

April,2016

Good Friday Lenton Devotion

On this Good Friday I am blessed to have my "Writer's Block"  submission published as today's devotion in the annual Smyrna First United Methodist Church's Lenten Devotional. Many thanks the our United Methodist Women who put this book together every year!

Check it out:

“If you hold to my teachings, then you are really my disciples and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”

(John 8:31-32)

Over the past couple years I have been writing poem/prayers for “Alive Now” magazine of The Upper Room.  Much like this Lenten Devotional, I have a theme and deadline to compose toward. The two deadlines converge around new years. As I write this devotion it is New Year’s Eve. For a couple months now I have jotted ideas about the theme for “Alive Now.” I have been stuck. The theme I have known about for awhile is Discipleship. What is a disciple?  The primary characteristic of a disciple is as a follower.  And then, I get this scripture theme from Luke 9:57b for our Lenten Devotional:

“I will follow you wherever you go.”

My creativity was, jump-started, by the wonder of God’s timing and my realization that there are no coincidences only miracles. The “Discipleship” issue will not come out until September-October and I will not know for a few months if they decided to use my work.  Here is a hint: Much has been in the news lately about refugees and Christian persecution. I wonder what it would be like if we were not free to follow Christ.  Where would our faith fall if we became refugees for Christ? Would we be willing to do for Jesus what he did for us?

Father give us the courage to hold to Your teachings. May we always be free to follow our blessed Good Shepherd! Amen

Bradford Bosworth
Good Friday 2016

Keep on Bloomin'...

Bloom where you are planted!

Right about the time I was transitioning out of high school in  Chattanooga,Tennessee and  into college in Athens, Georgia there was a popular piece of cartoon folk art that originated in a comic book and ended up- so it seems- on every one's t shirt. It was synonymous with rock festivals, love-ins and  pungent cannabis smoke. 

Until just the past few days when I started to develop the theme of this post did I have any knowledge of the creator behind this hugely popular icon for the hippie age.  The creator of this artwork is a cartoonist from Pennsylvania named Robert Crumb. He still holds the rights to the well known image after many challenges and much time through the legal system. 

Recently I was working on a submission for "Alive Now" a periodical on faith and spirituality and I was reflecting on the recent passing of one of our very popular north Georgia UMC pastors.  I still recall a sermon he delivered at a small local Smyrna  church about ten years ago. The title of the sermon was "Bloom Where You are Planted." It had an impact on me so much that the message has stayed with me all these years. 

It occurred to me that the concept of blooming where you are planted has a Christ like symmetry with the iconic sixties phrase of keep on trucking. For me the act of blooming has a vertical trajectory whereas trucking is a horizontal movement. Therefore when overlaying trucking with blooming you would have a cross. All geometry aside, the effort of both actions pleads for our personal growth.  "keep on trucking"  however would be a directive that would appear to engage us in our worldly pursuits whereas "keep on blooming" would immerse us in our faithful spiritual endeavors.

Nevertheless wisdom would suggest that we humans need to have a modicum of success at "keep on trucking" to allow for our all important "keep on blooming." Taking a look at my life's body of work one might surmise that because of too much emphasis towards "keep on trucking" I'm what one might refer to as a  "late bloomer."

"...each of you should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to you, just as God has called you..."

1 Corinthians 7:17

Postscript:

The city of Smyrna, Georgia where this writer lives is known as the "Jonquil City." Soon residents of our community will witness the blooming of the jonquils. Few things are as graceful as the lone determined jonquil holding its own early bloom after  a late winter frost!  Amen

Bradford Bosworth

February, 2016

Not Just Another Girl

It was Thursday morning August12, 1993. Becky was lying face-up on the examining table while the doctor was completing final preparations for the procedure that is called an amniocentesis. It was a small room cold and dark except for the light from the medical equipment and the monitor on which we would watch the activity.  Except I would not, could not watch. I have an aversion to needles and have been known to lose consciousness when catching sight of a syringe.  This needle was not a typical needle.  I was told it was longer and thicker which I imagined as about the size of a rifle barrel. So I sat in a chair with my head turned.

My wife Becky and I had waited till a bit late in life (late 30's) to have children; so there came higher risks and this procedure was to detect any abnormalities.  This child- still in the early womb- was to be our second. The first was a beautiful girl named Margaret who we would call Maggie.

As with any child there was much anticipation.  With this one we knew it would be our last.  There was one grandparent who was especially looking forward to this birth. My mother Jeanne was a bit anxious about this procedure because one of the things we were sure to learn was the sex of the child. Nana Jeanne wanted a grandson!  She had three boys of her own so she had a unique and special affection for boys. To make the situation more urgent, at this point her three sons had produced only granddaughters.  Becky's baby was her last chance. As a matter of fact,  I had just spoken with her Monday of her plans to drive down to Smyrna from Kentucky on Friday.  She would spend the weekend with us helping Becky with things around the house.

Jeanne Lenora Metzger

The procedure went well.  There was a moment when I heard the doctor say, "This will pinch a bit." Becky sighed and I got a bit light-headed. But it was all positive.  I would drive Becky home and continue on to work with relief that it all looked well with the child. We would now wait on test results. Nana Jeanne however would most likely be a little disappointed. The baby was another girl.

 Jeanne Faye Bosworth

It was early afternoon that same day and I was at our United Distributors company offices and had just finished placing all my customer orders for the day when my boss, Jeff Evert approached. I noticed he was looking a bit somber as he directed me to his office saying that I needed to take a phone call. Normally our switchboard operator would have just paged me over the PA system.  As soon as I entered the office he quietly exited closing the door behind him.

When I picked up the receiver it was my brother Hal on the other end. He said, "Brad you better sit down...... Mom was in a bad car accident this morning and she's gone." I think I became hysterical. It is somewhat a blur to me now and still painful, emotional.  What I would learn later was mystifying.

That morning as Becky and I were entering the doctors office my mother was dropping her car off at a Somerset, Kentucky auto shop to get serviced before her trip south the next day to visit us. At about the time of the medical procedure to check the health of our baby, my step father Alfred was picking up mom to take her home.  As they were pulling out of the entrance onto the highway, another driver t-boned their car on mom's passenger side. All accounts said she passed instantly.

I have come to believe there are no coincidences in this wonderful life we have. I'm not sure what the convergence of these two events mean. I do know we were compelled to name our new baby girl Jeanne.  I do know that her mom and I have also felt that our baby girl is and has always been somewhat of an old soul. I do know that when all the tests of the amniotic fluids came back our Jeanne was perfectly well and healthy. Though we lost mom that day, somehow it has always seemed she is never far away.

Today Jeanne turned 22 years. Happy Birthday Boo Girl!

Bradford Bosworth

January 2016