The Bearded Baptist in Europe #3

An On Second Thought Special Series

The Bearded Baptist in Europe
Week Three: Relaxed at Last
A Sabbatical Travelogue by Dr. Dock Hollingsworth

Second-Ponce member, Sonny Ellis, was once the best amateur golfer in Atlanta. He has been club champion of three different Atlanta golf clubs. I think, in 1958, he was club champion of two at the same time. So, about eight years ago, when he invited me to lunch, I said, “Let’s go to lunch at Capital City Club so that I can get a putting lesson after. (Yes, I took my putter into the dining room.) After lunch, we left wives to chat - Sonny took his walker and I took my putter and a pocket full of Titleist out to the practice green. After watching about six putts, Sonny said, “You are too tense; you are holding the club too tightly. I can see the muscles in your forearm stress up before you putt. Hold the club more lightly and it will free up your stroke.”

This week, Melissa and I have been aboard a cruise ship in the Mediterranean Sea. Sonny’s words from eight years ago have come to mind this week. My reflection aboard this beautiful ship is that I think that “holding the club too tightly“ is a restricting problem in other areas of my life as well. I live stressed. I worry about the church. I count who is attending and who isn’t. I stare at the ceiling at night. I watch the giving trends. I carry stress in my shoulders. I take medication. But, this week, like last week, the ministry of Second-Ponce has continued to move forward without me sitting at my desk chair with knots in my shoulders.

“Holding the club more loosely“ is not an image of disengagement. I need to do a better job of trusting God‘s work among us all and freeing myself to do the work that I am called to do without all of the attending tension. I need to trust your prayers and love for this church and learn to care more about the quality of my ministry and less about the outcomes. This week of relaxation has put me closer to the person that you want as your pastor. I feel some of the tension releasing in my forearms; hopefully I will make better putts when I return.

I love being your pastor,
Dock