This photo is from the web site of the First African Baptist Church in Savannah, Georgia.  It is taken from the pulpit looking back toward the door that goes outside, the door we came into Sunday morning to spend in worship with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

It was awesome!

The HHHs are back.  The Hogbottoms are on our annual trip to Hilton Head (thus the Hilton Head Hogbottoms).  It’s only been two days and true to our name we have bellied up to the trough at several wonderful restaurants and ate like the hogs little piggies we are when we come to this lovely island.

Today after our fantastic time in worship with all the others at church, we strolled along Bay Street looking for a place for lunch.  We settled on Your Pie, a great pizza place.  Just a little spot on the corner a couple of blocks from Montgomery Street where the First African Baptist Church is located.  Great crust, great toppings!  Of course, it only took a few hours till we were starving again.  This time is was the Crazy Crab on the island.  YET another good choice!  Cheesy grits, crab cakes with chipotle sauce, grilled shrimp, parmesan crusted grouper.  These people know how to cook!

But the highlight of the day was the worship service of the morning.  The coming together to give God our time, our thoughts, our offerings, our love.  As the song says that we sang this morning, “Forget about yourself.  And worship Him.”  I wish I could have had a video of the congregation singing that song because it was powerful.  If you haven’t heard it, take the time to listen to it.  Just click here.

The offering was made important:  blessing God, giving with joy and fellowship with Him and each other.  We took our tithes and our offerings one at a time down to the front and dropped it in two buckets.  Coming in a line, one after another, adults came with sealed envelopes, young ones came flapping their dollar bills.  The Hogbottoms came with folded money and our visitor card.  Dropped in to mingle with all the other joy from giving.  The whole time the choir and congregation singing I Will Bless The Lord At All Times.

It’s a song by Joe Pace with these lyrics:

I will bless the Lord at all times, He’s good

Yes.  I’ll bless the Lord.  At Hilton Head.  At Savannah.  At home.
He’s good.  Real good.

And worthy of my Sunday morning.