Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Church memories in the South

September already. Wow. Is it that I'm getting older or are the days flying by with super sonic speed? Either/or, Fall is upon us! I last posted about SPRING. I guess SUMMER didn't happen? OH. YES. IT. DID! Hot/hot/hot. Funny , as I had posted on my Spring post how we didn't really have a Spring! We didn't! But, we have had SUMMER. AHHH, that's splendor in the South, right there. Us Southerners complain the minute it gets below 79 degrees. And complain even more when the humidity is 100 percent with temps 100 degrees. Never satisfied, us Southern bred folks. But, we do NOT complain about Sweet Tea (unless it's not sweet enough) or football (YES! It's FOOTBALL SEASON AGAIN! RTR!) or who posts  more pix of the beach (we might be jealous but we're proud of our beaches so we smile and "like" our friends posts on such!) and write comments like: "I was just there". or "I am going next week-end". Just to make sure everyone knows they are going (hand raised. Guilty). 

Southern folk, (of which I am one) ,are  also are fiercely defensive of our Christian beliefs. Still, to this day, if you meet someone new , you will be asked :"Where do you go to church?"

 Back in the day ( 1960 and earlier) , in the East Lake area of B'ham that I grew up in,  you were  either a : Baptist.(or) Methodist.(even though I was Methodist I wrote Baptist first b/c there were more of them, haha).  Those were your choices.  There were a few :Non Denominationals.  Presbyterians.  Catholics. Episcopals. Church of Christ folks. Pentecostals ( but a very few).
Even at my high school, Banks High, most either went to Ruhama or East Lake Methodist.  ( to compare to those who might have this comparison fit better :  Alabama or Auburn football fan! you made a clear choice. Or your parents did. Legacy is a big thing in the South. Football AND church!). These two denominations  "ran the show" in East Lake back in the day! They were the ones to fight over who got to the Pioneer Restaurant fastest after church and, sad to say,  kind of looked down their noses at other denominations. well, not really  but , well, yeah, we did judge. Not intentionally, (honestly!), but we didn't just didn't know that much  about any other denominations!
 When offshoots became more popular of different "denoms", it was like the Southerners down here had a hard time.  * the word CHANGE. That's a word most churches did NOT like. And if something DID change, we were like: "HUH? never heard of wearing anything but dresses and suits to church" , (as they snarled under their breath) ,OR  "did you see so and so put a DOLLAR in the offering?" (vs. $2 but if you had a lot of money you put a big fat check in)or if someone raised their hand in church it was usually because they were telling everyone they were fixing to faint. NOT  fainting from hearing something prophetic from the pastor.  NO way! Faint because it was hot and they didn't get a drink to take into worship (like they do today).  We once, at East Lake UMC where I grew up, had a minster who began wearing "the collar". You talk about flipping out the members!!!!!!!! "who does he think he is? A Catholic or something?" and
"DID YOU SEE THAT COLLAR ?" it was a huge deal. And lots didn't like it. (he wasn't there long). And how about the one who wore this giant CROSS necklace? That really flipped people out. "A man wearing a necklace?" Oh And...how about where you sat during worship ?( OK, so this still happens and I'm one of the "those" who still sit in the same vicinity each week ), but at ELUMC if you happened to drift to the left or right of your "seat" you were stared at OR got "the eye". People had their territory and you better NOT drift too far left or right. I was once asked by a sweet Southern lady whose precious voice sounded like milk and honey, "darling , did you know that's my seat?" Which led me to often sit in the balcony where we could pass notes and giggle and even nod off in sleep if things got boring. BUT, the  adult choir was directly across the balcony and they STARED. Like really stared at you. So much so you wondered if they would remember the anthem when it came time to sing it. Those anthems that would crescendo from singing very softly and sweetly to this booming dramatic anthem that shook the rafters.The kind that would bring non emotional Methodists to tears.  Daddy would sometimes say on our way home from church, "wasn't that the best song today during church?" And I would be thinking that the song was  1. too long 2. too loud 3. did I mention too long?
 And how about those who sang next to you in church? Those that loved to sing harmony but didn't quite know the harmony. Or the one that had the operatic voice that shook and trembled. Or , like my mother, who  sang loudly even though she was tone deaf. Also, what about hymns on Sundays? It seemed we always sang ALL the verses. But, if the preacher wanted more time, the choir director would say, "today we are singing verse 1, 3 and 5" Ha! Those were the funny things I remember. Not being disrespectful at all, but that's the way it was. Now on the flip side!

But then! Then there were those days when it seemed as if the heavens were singing with us and the music reverberated all through the place during special " hymn singing " days so that I would think, "this HAS to be what heaven looks and sounds like". I would look around me , with the sun shining through those gorgeous windows at East Lake UMC and see the light shine around my parents and family and friends and I just knew God was there. I could see Him! Through the kind and humble usher. I could SEE Him: through the squirmy children that suddenly became quiet as they caught the same feeling that I had. I could HEAR him through the sermon (yes, sometimes I listened!) and the whisper of those serving Communion saying "this is the body of Christ, JANICE". (yes, even though our church was huge , everyone knew everyone else). I could EXPERIENCE Him as I knelt on those crewel embroidered altar cushions as I poured out my heart (but not kneeling ir staying TOO long, that wasn't cool).Or when the minister lifted the baby high during it's baptism (yes, BAPTIZED, dear BAPTIST friends, LOL) and the baby would smile and coo ! I FELT Him in the TRUE hugs and love from that group of people who helped shape me/ mold me and guide me towards Jesus. YES. I can say, with all honesty, I have had hugs from God.

I didn't mean to write all this, this morning! It just came out of my mind  (mostly heart) and my fingers started tapping away. But, this JOY , this unique cushioning of my faith has made me who I am today! these people, most of those saints in glory now, who helped teach my about Jesus---not only in Sunday School, but the WAY THEY LIVED THEIR LIVES.  Simple folk. Simple but not dumb. They understood the gospel. They LIVED the gospel. They proclaimed the gospel.  May I have inherited at least a kernel of what was given to ME to pass on down. So, today, in my quiet time, I have to tell God THANK YOU. Thank Him for allowing me to grow up in such a holy and pure place: East Lake United Methodist Church. I am in awe of his goodness and mercy and I will be forever grateful. But, I can't stop by being thankful for what I had, I have to do MY part so that  other youngsters and youth will be able to write about their experience in their church. Thanks be to God. (and those words resound in the song the youth of ELUMC sang during all our choir trips ). As a mom and grandmother, may I be "one of those" who encourage others and point , and even sing off key to help others experience what I did. Be a witness. Be an encourager. Be a joyful noise. (I'm trying).

God bless YOU today and maybe you are remembering YOUR days in church as well and if you don't have any, start now by joining a church of your choice. It will be the best decision you've ever made! 

This is the verse that got me to "thinking" this morning:  I Samuel 16:7 "the Lord looks at the heart". 
Yes, He does! he doesn't see collars. He doesn't see crosses. He doesn't hear off key singing (sorry, Mimi). He doesn't care about seating. He DOESN"T care about denominations! He DOES care about connections. He DOES care about His children. He DOES care about us leaving a legacy for our children.
This I know for sure.