In the 1980s I became very active politically. I joined a party, supported candidates, attended party meetings, served as a delegate — and also learned how bitter politics can get, even at the local level.

I was having breakfast with several area pastors this week and was about to put artificial sweetener into my coffee.

Keith Moore, the senior pastor at Peachtree City’s Dogwood Church, said, “Are you going to put all of that in your coffee?”

We priests and pastors are often concerned about whether our churches are successful. Unfortunately, we tend to think in a business model and measure them on the basis of land, buildings, numbers, finances, fame, and the like. Jesus, during his last days on earth, gave commands to the disciples that easily serve as goals and as measures of success.

I recently took a bit of flak for my article on “incivility.” A small part of my column on the subject included, “People who don’t say ‘please’ or ‘thank you’ or ‘sir’ or ‘ma’am.’”

“You’d think that boy was raised in a barn!” my mother would often exclaim when she saw someone exhibiting minor uncivil behaviors. These “incivilities” may not always rise to the level of obnoxiousness, but they are still irritating enough to gain notice and to cost bystanders some level of comfort.

I came very close to committing the unpardonable sin recently. Actually, it wasn’t THE unpardonable sin spoken about by Jesus in the New Testament, but it came pretty close.

Several years ago, when my mother passed away, my brother and I were faced with the seemingly impossible task of dealing with all her “stuff.”

Here’s to the truckers of America! I have to admit that I haven’t always thought about truckers, those men and women who drive the “big rigs” all over the country, bringing all types of goods to every kind of market.

One of the difficulties that church leaders face is defining “success.” For the most part, success in the church is defined in the same way that it is in society.

It was a quiet Saturday night for the first time in nearly nine months.

In early July of last year, my son’s home burned. He, his wife, and the children escaped the blaze in the early hours of the morning, but, in spite of the fact that firefighters were on the scene immediately, most of what they owned was lost.

Lies, misinformation, misstatements, name-calling, insults, provocative acclamations, racism, sexism, embarrassing public behavior — actions and attitudes that would not be tolerated on an elementary school playground have become the norm in the current campaign for the Democratic nomination for president.

What happens when we choose to forgive someone, even if they have not asked our forgiveness nor admitted their fault?

A few weeks ago, a gentleman attending our church’s Men’s Prayer Breakfast asked me, “What can we, as the men of the church, do to make your life easier?”

It seems a little boy was praying the Lord’s Prayer and got to a certain point and said, “Forgive us our trash buckets as we forgive those who put trash in our buckets.” Actually, for a small child, that’s pretty good theology.

“What can we, as the men of the church, do to make your life easier?” The question came from one of the men attending a Men’s Prayer Breakfast at our church where I had just concluded some remarks and had opened the floor to questions. In over 35 years of ministry, it was the first time I had been asked that question. Oh, people have said, “How can I help?” or “What do you need?” but not, “What can we do to make your life easier?”

I first met John F. Douglas, Jr., early in 1971 when I called upon his daughter. It must have been a difficult time for him and his wife Bette for I was not a particularly good prospect as a son-in-law. I was working as a bag boy at a local supermarket, had no idea what I wanted to be, and was taking a few classes at the university, although I wasn’t highly motivated and my grades reflected that fact.

I was back in my hometown of Kingsport, Tenn., for a special event. My father-in-law, John F. Douglas, Jr., was to be given the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 61st Annual Dinner of the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce.

My flight to Illinois had been canceled due to inclement weather and I had been told that it would take about an hour before I could retrieve my luggage.

The truth be told, I didn’t want to go to the Prayer Summit this week. It’s not that I am against prayer nor is there a desire to separate myself from the pastors and ministers who would be attending the Prayer Summit. Frankly, I didn’t want to go anywhere or see anybody.

If one presses me for a favorite professional football team, I’d have to say the Green Bay Packers. That might seem strange for a guy who grew up a Southerner cheering for the Volunteers of Tennessee and basically believing that Heaven started south of the Mason-Dixon Line. But, the Packers it is.

“Virtue” is a word not heard much anymore. One definition of the word is “any admirable quality or attribute; ‘work of great merit.’” If there is any one virtue that is greater than the others, that virtue would, in my opinion, be “humility.”

A few weeks ago, I asked a female college student, “Do you think women are insane?” Without hesitation she replied, “Oh, absolutely! But men are simple.”

“What’s with the difference in all the clergy, the different colored shirts they wear, the crosses, and the ‘plus’ signs?”

As the year ends, I would like to make a few observations. These conclusions are, of course, only my opinion, but, since this is an opinion column, it seems appropriate. Others, thanks be to the American culture and to the United States Constitution, are free to agree, disagree, or totally ignore them.

My family engaged in a tradition this past weekend. We celebrated “cookie day.” It’s not on the calendar, of course, but it is an annual event nonetheless. My wife’s birthday is Dec. 18 and, a few years ago after the grandchildren started to arrive, she decided that, on or near her birthday, the family would have Cookie Day. That’s the only gift she wants from the kids — bring the grandchildren to Cookie Day.

Some time back, I was counseling with a gentleman who was having troubles with the lady in his life. In exasperation, he finally said, “They are insane!”

On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, my wife was “in the zone.” That is, she was determined to do most of the Thanksgiving cooking and everybody had best watch out and get out the way if they knew what was good for them.

Scripture says to “give honor to whom honor is due.” When I first met Randolph Adler in 1995 he was the founding bishop of a fledgling denomination called The Charismatic Episcopal Church. I met him at a conference somewhere and listened to his teaching on “Signs and Symbols.”

I have discovered that, at times, clothes do make the man ... or at least assist the man.

From time to time, someone will ask, “Why do you wear that clergy collar?”

“Tonight’s the night! It’s gonna be alright,” begins the chorus of a song by pop singer Rod Stewart. In my case, “tonight’s the night” and I certainly hope “it’s gonna be alright!”