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Hernando Today

Valentine Advice For Strong Marriages

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Maurea Sleesman

Published: February 13, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - BROOKSVILLE - Each morning, Pastor John D. Thompson, 84, begins the day by reading a verse from Proverbs or Psalms with Janet, 87, his bride of nearly 54 years. Then they pray together for daily guidance.

Later as the preacher fasts with his breakfast coffee, he is open to reading about worldly life via his newspaper.

But Jesus may directly override the dawn routine by giving him a sermon idea or a new church song including the melody. So far, Thompson says Jesus has gifted the pastor with several hymns, most of them lively for praiseful singing and Thompson's rhythmic guitar strumming. The newest song Thompson calls "The Lighthouse Song," which states "Let the light shine from Jesus, let the lighthouse shine on me." He also has some for children.

John D. Thompson preaches at The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, a small independent apostolic church nestled in the piney woods north of Brooksville. He has been the minister there since its 1983 beginning.

When it comes to Valentine's Day – or any day – and using the word "love," the preacher is quick to say, "Jesus' love surpasses ALL because He has love for everybody and every thing."

For Valentine's Day supper, Janet will cook her husband's request, likely an old Key West recipe of piccadillo. "A piquant sauce is made from ground beef, chopped peppers, onion, garlic, raisins, green olives and capers," she said. "It is traditionally served alongside black beans and rice." She often cooks it for the monthly church potlucks, where it is a member favorite.

The preacher will give her a Valentine.

He revisited their courting days. "Janet was a legal secretary. I grew up in Gulfport. I was doing carpentry and painting in St. Petersburg. My buddy worked with Janet and kept haranguing me about meeting her. Finally I agreed even though I had suffered some disappointments with the past and was bitter about women in general. When we finally did have a date, I was a goner and flipped madly in love. I had a sailboat and we enjoyed that. Janet was not so quick to take a shine to me however. I told her 'That's all right. I've already decided on you. You can take your time….'

" Pretty soon I paid $50 down on an old Cracker house in St. Petersburg. The roof leaked and it was overpriced at $4500. When I showed it to Janet, she said, 'Well I guess if you can be happy in this house then I can too,' so I knew she might marry me."

"I liked the way he treated my daughter," Janet said. " She was four when we met. John would bring her candy and little things. He had a son age two. Over the years there were custody problems sometimes, and moving around in jobs complicated matters. But now we have the two children grown and living in Florida, with six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren."

John plays the guitar by ear and cannot read music. Janet began taking piano lessons at age nine, and plays mostly by reading music, although she can accompany her husband if he gives her chord outlines. They recalled one night during a strong storm at a church service in Tampa, when the electricity went out in the middle of their leading a hymn. John kept playing his guitar while the sight-reading pianist went silent. "But then she started plinking and doing some improvising in the dark," he said. " We sounded pretty good! Then some candles got lit and we were back in business."

When Thompson conducts marriage services, he consults beforehand with the prospective spouses. He tells them that Ephesians 5: 21 – 33 is a marriage manual. "The man and the woman have to learn to be submissive to each other. It's just that simple!" Thompson advises.

First, Thompson explains that the prospective husband is to love his wife as he does his own self and in the Body of Christ, as head of the family and marriage, submitting to Jesus. Then he tells the wife to be submissive to her husband as if he were Jesus. "As the two shall become as one flesh, it becomes the responsibility of the married couple to follow these biblical teachings," Thompson said.

He also said that people must submit to easing conflict in everyday situations, as he does when he ministers at the local prison. "I walk through the halls and submit to the power of the guards and supervisors. I tell the inmates that they must be submissive to them also. In conversation, show respect and be submissive as it is happening.

"After a person submits to Jesus, it becomes easier to see where being submitting sets the groundwork for more peace and harmony in the home, workplace, in traffic and most everywhere.

" I'll tell you a good Valentine kind of story," Thompson said. "One time a good friend of mine surprised his wife by planning a secret celebration to renew their marriage vows. Somehow he got her to go with him to a lakeside park. She had no clue what was going to happen. There sat a horse and carriage with Janet and me standing by it. It was a complete surprise to the lady. "What are you two doing here?" she asked. Her husband proposed a suggestion to her. "Let's get married again," he said. We had the nuptial vows and re-commitment ceremony. Then the 'bride and groom' got in the horse and carriage and slowly rode around the lake as the driver gave them a picturesque tour. Now how's that for a Valentine idea?!"

The twinkle-eyed preacher smiles a lot, and says his church welcomes all people to enjoy worship, to sing and to pray and to ask any questions he can answer immediately or "in a short while" if he needs to pray about it and consult the Bible. He keeps a copy of Strong's Concordance in the pulpit stand and another in his house. "I've worn out a few of those," he said. "You can look up almost any word and it'll give you the various meanings throughout history, plus references to Bible verses."

Thompson is fond of creating slogans and graphics, using quotes of scriptures. He had a local sign painter make signs that direct life. They look like highway traffic road signs and are posted inside and outside the church. The one behind the pulpit is from John 20:28. It says, " Jesus Christ is our Lord and our God."

Presently, he is having a local printing company make prescription handouts from "the Pharmacy of Jesus Christ, M.D.," he said. "At the top it reads, 'Through the blood of Jesus, the devil has no place in me and no power over me!'

"The Rx says 'to take one' – a prayer that is – 'at least 12 times a day.' You can't overdose!"

Thompson's black tie has orange and red flames "burning" up its border design. At the end of the interview, he smiled and donned his custom-made matching black-and -flame-bordered cap. Its brightly embroidered advice comes from Luke 12:49. It says: "Jesus, Light My Fire!"

The Church of The Lord Jesus Christ is located at 12267 Ponce De Leon Blvd. (one mile past the Highway Patrol on U.S. 98), Brooksville. Phone: 796-1620

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