A Weekend Event in Weaver, Alabama…

February 27, 2006 | 11:54 PM

I’m officially back. [Click images for the photoset on flickr.] Friday afternoon I drove to Weaver, Alabama (near Anniston) for the weekend. I had a wedding on Saturday and an ordination on Sunday. What a great weekend. I should give some context. I met Matt and Bethany at the University of Mobile. That’s the couple that got married on Saturday. Matt and I went to New Orleans Baptist Seminary beginning in 2004, and that’s where he introduced me to his best friend from when they were kids- Justin. After Matt left for North Carolina last January, Justin and I became pretty good friends, and I consider him one of my closest to this day. Justin was ordained on Sunday. I stayed at Justin’s house and had a blast hanging out with his family and girlfriend. They’re a trip.

The wedding. Man it was big. Last count was around 400 people. I’ll tell you what, Matt and Bethany both have influenced so many people through the years. Both are from the Oxford-Anniston-Gadsden area. It was a beautiful service- and Bethany’s dad married them. I got to see a lot of old friends, including Brad, Taylor, Jamey, Cagle, Andrew, Matt, Bethany, Justin Hase, and Chuck. I also saw a lot of others from UM and Mobile in general. Like I said, these people really made an impact in the lives of a lot of us in Mobile.

Friday night I got to Weaver and hit up the rehearsal dinner as it was ending. Met Justin’s brother Jared, and when Jared’s truck broke down, the three of us squeezed into Justin’s two-seat truck (man that’s a tight fit) to drive to Matt’s batchelor party. Jared shifted, Justin steered, and I just held on. Anyway, as always with Matt and guys like the ones I named before, it became a worship event. We got loud, and it turns out a youth minister was in the hotel. She heard us singing and playing guitars, and she came by. Looks like Taylor and Andrew have a gig in a couple weeks in Selma. It was pretty nice to sit in that room and worship God with those guys again.

Saturday was the wedding, which I already talked about above.

On Sunday, Justin was ordained. (Not Justin Hase- a different Justin, although both have slept on my floor at NOBTS before.) It was great to see that. Doug from NOBTS came in too, so I got to see another old friend from my year in the city. He’s organizing disaster relief down there for Calvary Baptist on the West Bank. Good guy doing good stuff. I’m excited for Justin, though. We had a reception after the ordination and it was a nice time. Justin’s brother Jared is hilarious too. Good times.

So Saturday night after the wedding and reception, Justin, Kirbey, and I are sitting in his basement and he looks at me and says, “Joe, move to Weaver.” I laughed and said, “Yeah, right.” But Sunday night he said the same thing. He was pretty serious, and he talked about us and this other guy Dirk getting an apartment or a small house, and getting some college ministry at FBC Weaver going. This morning he made me promise to pray about it. So I will. I’d still move back to New Orleans in August, but… it might be a more productive few months until then this way. So we’ll see.