Author: Jeff Hampton

For Wilshire Baptist Church

“With every head bowed and every eye closed.” Those words spoken often by visiting evangelists in the Baptist church of my youth helped shape my early understanding of the reverence and focus of prayer time. Except when sitting across the dinner table from my brother.

If you have children, you may not want to share this post with them, but . . . my brother and I have a habit of peeking at each other during prayers before meals. It started when we were kids and has continued on into middle age. Someone will be saying grace and I’ll open one eye and look across at my brother, and his eyes will pop open too. Sometimes we’ll just grin or wink, but other times he’ll give me a hideous scowl and even stick out his tongue. I’ll do the same and then the challenge is on to keep from snorting or laughing.

Continue reading “Eyes Wide Open”

For Wilshire Baptist Church

On Ash Wednesday we finished gathering and compiling our tax data and made an appointment with our accountant. As freelancers and contractors, we have lots of little payments and expenses to compile and document, and a big part of that process is going back through our calendars to connect receipts with appointments, trips, purchases, whatever.

Continue reading “Taxing Times”

For Wilshire Baptist Church

Monday night at Wilshire Winds rehearsal we were practicing a piece called “Consolation” by Noah D. Taylor, and director Shana Gaines stopped us and suggested we try something new: spread out in a large circle and play the piece while facing each other. She said it would help us hear who has the most important parts at different times, especially as the dynamics – the loudness and softness – changes, and it would help us play more in tune.

Continue reading “Centered”