Walt Albritton

Walt Albritton

Columnist

Walt is a writer for The Observer

Walt Albritton's Latest

Altar Call | Going home

Altar Call | Going home

Going home was a wonderful experience for me during my first 18 years. I rode a yellow school bus ten miles to school. I loved school but I was glad to return home every day.  Home gave me a sense of belonging, and a safe refuge where I was loved...

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Altar Call | Going home

An Alter Call | Why churches grow

BY WALT ALBRITTON OPINION โ€” There are likely a dozen good reasons why churches grow. The primary reason, of course, is obvious: God gives the growth. No one ever explained this better than Saint Paul when he wrote to the Corinthian Church, โ€œI...

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Altar Call | Going home

Altar Call | Surprised by Grace

BY WALT ALBRITTON OPINION โ€” The church is one of Satanโ€™s favorite playgrounds. He delights in getting church members to criticize one another rather than work together to fulfill Godโ€™s mission for the church. Jealousy and envy are tools Satan uses...

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Altar Call | Going home

Altar Call | For Him

BY WALT ALBRITTON My friends tell me they admire how strong I have been since the death of my son, Mark, on Jan. 15. I thank them for their kind words. But the truth is, I am not always strong; there are weak moments when sorrow descends upon me...

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Altar Call | Going home

Altar Call | Jesus sent me

BY WALT ALBRITTON OPINION โ€” The author and philosopher, Elton Trueblood, got my attention when he said that Mark 10:45 is the most revolutionary verse in the New Testament. Look at again with that comment in mind: For even the Son of Man did not...

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Altar Call | Going home

Altar Call | The man sitting on a tree limb

BY WALT ALBRITTON OPINION โ€” When Jesus was walking through Jericho, he attracted a large crowd. In the crowd was a man named Zacchaeus who was short of statue, so short he could not see Jesus over the crowd. Determined to see Jesus, he ran ahead of...

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Altar Call | Going home

An Altar Call | No task too small

By Walt Albritton OPINION โ€” Sherrill Morrison never preached a sermon in his church. A humble truck driver, he was not a prominent, influential leader in his church. However, Sunday after Sunday he stood in the sanctuary welcoming people to church....

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Altar Call | Going home

Altar Call | Jan. 23, 2025

Watch out for the rattlesnakes OPINION โ€” Most people will agree with the Bibleโ€™s teaching that God is love. And almost everyone would agree that God uses a multitude of ways to inspire his children to walk like He wants them to walk. But hereโ€™s a...

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Altar Call | Going home

An Altar Call | Jan. 16, 2025

Life changing words OPINION โ€” The television commercial said that 50 million Americans have hearing loss. I did a fact check. Turns out the number is more like 30 million. The commercial was probably produced by a hearing aid company.Whatever the...

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Altar Call | Going home

Altar Call - The sign and test of love

During the Last Supper, according to Johnโ€™s gospel, Jesus shared with his disciples the spiritual blessings they would receive after his crucifixion and resurrection (chapters 14-17). They would be blessed with the certainty that Jesus was in the...

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Altar Call | Going home

Alter Call | Jan. 2, 2025

You can make a new beginning The calendar โ€“ what a marvelous idea! One year ends. A new year begins. I love it!It offers us the opportunity to do two healthy things: let go of the past and make a new beginning.How do you let go of the past? You...

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Altar Call | Going home

Alter Call | Dec. 24, 2024

Recalling joy in the Cumberland Mountains OPINION โ€” Living a life filled with love must begin in the home with the family. A preacher cannot share authentic love with others if his family views him as a โ€œstreet angel and a house devil.โ€...

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Altar Call | Going home

An Alter Call

The challenge of the unexpected OPINIONGenealogy mattered to Matthew. So he began his gospel by tracing Jesusโ€™ ancestors from Abraham to Joseph, thus proving Jesus Christ to be both the Son of David and the Son of Abraham. As the son of Abraham, he...

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Altar Call | Going home

Alter Call | Dec. 12, 2024

A man I wish I had known If I were to name ten people I wish I had known, Carl Sandburgโ€™s name would be on my list. I would love to have sat on the porch of his Blue Ridge Mountain home and talked to him about his life and his poetry.Years ago Dean...

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Altar Call | Going home

Alter Call | Dec. 5, 2024

Staying Power OPINION โ€” Staying power, the courage to persevere, to stay the course. Some have it; some donโ€™t. Difficulties, failures or opposition cause some to throw in the towel. Some cannot handle criticism; they wilt under the censure of...

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Altar Call | Going home

Alter Call | Nov. 27, 2024

His love means nothing to me OPINION โ€” I love a good story and the best stories have a happy ending. I like it when the big bad wolf loses and the three little pigs win. I cheer for the tortoise when he beats the hare to the finish line.The...

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Altar Call | Going home

Alter Call

A few words fitly spoken OPINION โ€” The scene before me remains etched in my mind. I had walked into a huge ballroom in a hotel in Dallas, Texas, 15 minutes late. Five hundred people were already seated at tables, and I had no idea where to find a...

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Altar Call | Going home

Alter Call | Nov. 14, 2024

Finding peace in my 'Remember Room' OPINION โ€” When I turned 70 and retired from fulltime ministry, I found time to read books that I had little time to peruse while serving as a pastor. One of the authors I enjoyed was Frederick Buechner and his...

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