The day of the Pilgrimage to the King (Atlanta to Memphis) fast approaches. With each passing day, we assess our positions and consider our options. What to say to the King? How many barbecue lunches to consume during the four-day visit? How to face the juxtaposition of suburban growth with newly restored intown neighborhoods? Stay tuned...

It is Good Friday. I have just returned from one of the most moving Good Friday services that my church has ever held. Over the course of 45 minutes, we were witness to a group of members playing the parts of people who had seen Jesus in the last days of his life. Barabbas wondered why the crowd wanted him saved, a carpenter was outraged at the idea of constructing a cross for a man who didn't deserve one, and Mary pleaded with God to take his son, just as He had delivered Jesus to her. The service ended silently, and we remained as long as we wished...

I'm warming to the Stratocaster. Over the weekend, I learned the fine points of intonation, after a panic trip to Guitar Center to try to figure out why one string was not producing the correct pitch at the octave. The Stratocaster has a unique system of string adjustment which is unlike any other guitar I have seen. It allows precise control of string height -- the tiniest Allen wrench I have ever seen is provided with the guitar specifically for this purpose. Over the years, many of my friends have owned Strats, but I never played one myself. Better late than never!

Plans for the Pilgrimage to the King continue. We're now sorting through the options, deciding how much of Memphis we can see in 3-1/2 days. I am particularly curious about my old neighborhood, Highland Heights. I wonder if Frank Jackson and Enos Evans are still discussing the weather and sports out in front of Mr. Goodwin's house. When I was last in town in 1990, they were standing there talking just as they had in the 1960's. Ah, tradition!

I bought a new electric guitar. Now, I know that there are already four other guitars in the house, but hey, they're all acoustic. For the last month or so, I've been reacquainting myself with guitar playing, something that used to be as natural to me as breathing. But it dawned on me, while helping Hannah build a homemade guitar for a school project, that this was something I really missed doing, and as they say, there's no time like the present. It's been 27 years since I played my very own electric guitar, so this is something pretty cool. I'll keep you posted on my "progress"...