I don’t know how It Is with you, but I can recall occasions when a text of scripture grabbed my imagination, gripped my mind, burrowed its way into my soul, and became a part of my being. In many instances, I can relive the setting when that happened, and it energizes my life.

Our scripture for this is such a case. It was Senior Recognition Day at Candler School of Theology, Emory University, 1958. From the time I answered the call to preach as a seventeen- year-old country boy in Mississippi, I’ve always had a passion for preaching. I believe with all my heart that that was the call of God upon my life. I believe with all my heart that that has always been the call of God upon my life. That passion for preaching is still alive - I hope you know that — and I continue to be humbled every t…