It was a small, rather dumpy, little church sanctuary. But the people there loved my mama and me and my sister and brother back into wholeness after my daddy left our family. Today church can be as slick as a Broadway production, but back then it was just “Brother Johnson” or “Sister Smith” waving their arm in time as they led the music while some other brother and/or sister played the piano and/or organ. The songs were from the old red hymnal called “Melodies of Praise” . After the “song service” the preacher got up and preached a simple salvation message followed by the altar call. The lost would go forward to be born again, and “backsliders” would go forward to repent of their wicked ways, and this broken hearted little girl would go forward without really knowing why. The preacher would lay his big old hand on her head and pray for her, and she would be comforted and strengthened.
Today, while our church is definitely not “as slick as a Broadway production” we are certainly more cutting edge in our technology and worship style than that church of my childhood memories. Bye, bye organ! Hello full worship band! Bye, bye red hymnal! Hello, Power Point! I love the changes. However, I hope we are just as simple, genuine, and uncomplicated in our loving of people, and I hope our presentation of the gospel is still as sweet and simple and clear.
The other day I woke up with a song from that old red hymnal in my mind. These old melodies from childhood are the songs that bubble up from my subconscious at the oddest moments…
“Like a mighty sea, like a mighty sea,
Comes the love of Jesus sweeping over me;
The waves of glory roll, the Savior to extol;
Comes the love of Jesus sweeping o’er my soul. “
by Henry J. Zelley
Comes the love of Jesus sweeping over me;
The waves of glory roll, the Savior to extol;
Comes the love of Jesus sweeping o’er my soul. “
by Henry J. Zelley
Gratitude list #365-377
-provision
-a venti Starbucks Americano
-the street sweeper coming through our neighborhood making everything clean
-youngest daughter home from Missouri for two weeks
-great prayer time at our Bible study
-a trip to the beach with the whole family
-all three grandbabies crawling into my bed the next morning
-kid jokes
-a day of mother/daughter shopping and baking
-a great evening walk with my husband
-grandbabies at baseball games
Gratefully yours,
Elizabeth
Elizabeth
Elizabeth...thank you for stopping by to visit me...I'm a new blogger and I find it VERY exciting to get comments (it don't take much to please me haha!)I enjoyed this post so much. I remember growing up with the same things you grew up with. We have power point at our church too, and also a sound system for our singers. I have to say that my church is the most loving church I've ever been to. They were so supportive of me during my diagnosis and treatments. They were always there with a prayer, phone call, card, or just a kind word...I couldn't make it without my church family! God is so good to us, he has brought me through the last year and I could NOT have made it without him...I never dreamed I'd be able to say that breast cancer has been a blessing...I've been able to witness to folks that I would've never met...not to mention it has taught me so much about leaning on the Lord...it is OK to lean on Him...He wants us too...so how can breast cancer be a bad thing when it has brought me closer to the Heavenly Father? Amen? Robyn
ReplyDeleteMy hope is that no matter how slick we get...the churches of today continue to "love others back into wholeness"...
ReplyDeleteI'm grateful for the opportunity to read a post like this and be 'comforted and strengthened' because of it.
Love this post; it reminds me again how much I love our church. We aren't perfect, but God is moving in our midst.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like the church I grew up in, only it was my mama who left and my Nanny who took me to church. Sometimes I really miss the simplicity of that old church, those salvation messages, and especially the altar calls. Loved all the pics of your family. I wish I lived close enough to the beach to enjoy it often. Thanks for the memories.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Angel
We have much in common, my new friend! I grew up with the same things as you. My daddy was the preacher and I love 'Melodies of Praise' - still have one in my music collection. It's green! I, too, pray that we won't lose the warmth and love and the urgency to sense the needs of those around and show them how much Jesus loves them and wants to carry their burdens.
ReplyDelete~Adrienne~