Have Faith in God

I read an article today from a church newsletter we receive (we have no idea how we ended up on their mailing list) that I wanted to share with you about Faith's Object.

A young skeptic said to an elderly lady, “I once believed in God, but since studying science I am convinced that God is an empty word.”

The lady replied, “Well, I have not studied science, but since you have, maybe you can tell me from whence came this egg.”

“Why, of course, from the hen,” was the reply.

“And where did the hen come from?”

“Why, the egg.”

“And perhaps,” she said, “you can tell me which existed first.”

“The hen, of course,” rejoined the young man.

“You mean that a hen existed without having come from an egg?”

“Oh, no,” he said, “I should have said the egg was first.”

“Then you mean that an egg existed without having come from a hen?”

He exclaimed, “You’ve got me all mixed up.”

She drove home her point: “Young man, since you cannot explain the existence of even a hen or an egg without God, you cannot expect me to believe that you can explain the existence of the whole world without Him.”

The Bible says in Hebrews 11:1 that "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

I've been dealing with some serious health issues for some time now, and I'm not being very patient with the lack of a diagnosis at this point. But I do firmly believe in God, and I do have faith that He will use whatever happens in my life to my good, if I only trust in Him. I'm thankful that I have that assurance in my life.

Sacred Harp Singing

We enjoyed going to the Sacred Harp National Convention in Birmingham, Alabama, for our Date Day this last Friday. This was the third year we've gone to it, and it's been a treat each time.

I'm not a good judge of numbers, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were several hundred people singing, plus lots of others like us who were there just to listen. The church was full, and it's a good size church. We do bring our song book that I bought after that first year, but they have loaner copies for anyone who wants to follow along as they sing.

Some people who go to the "sangin's" are interested in it as a Folk Art, but many, as we do, consider it a way to sing praises to God and connect to our church roots. The lyrics show just how different people's attitudes toward God, heaven, and death were back in the 1800's, when most of the songs were written. Most of the tunes are variations of English songs brought over by the original European settlers in the South. Many of the arrangements have a haunting sound to them, because a lot of them are set in a minor key.

Personally, I like the slower more majestic songs the best, but there are plenty of Rounds and fast tempo songs for those who like their music peppy.

The offering plate is always passed around a couple of times during the service, and we come prepared to give generously, as they provide a very good communal meal in the church's gymnasium/fellowship hall. We chatted with one lady from the UK, a couple from Texas, and a gentleman from Huntsville, Alabama during lunch. They were all singers and very active in the Sacred Harp movement.

There's no way to put into words the worship I always experience in listening to such beautiful music sung to God's Glory. And I know we'll be there next year, too, if at all possible.

The Worst Tornado Day I Can Remember!

I'm praying today that many missing people in the aftermath of yesterday's tornado events in the US will be found alive today as daylight makes searching possible. We live in Alabama, and we spent all day listening carefully to all the weather news and went to our "safe place" in the basement for several hours yesterday evening. We had 3 wind events pass over us yesterday. The early morning one may have been a straight line event, but 2 tornadoes passed close to us last night. We were extremely fortunate, but we know people who lost everything. At least they are alive.

One of the hardest hit by the mile wide tornado that went across 3 states was Tuscaloosa, but it apparently did not hit the University of Alabama with any significant damage. The hospital in Tuscaloosa is working on emergency generators, and they are moving patients to other hospitals as soon as they can. Cullman was hit by 4 tornadoes yesterday! And the north side of the biggest city in the state, Birmingham, was also damaged badly. Areas south of Birmingham were also hit by the first wave of high wind events early yesterday morning. There have already been 131 confirmed deaths in the state, and I'm sure the number will go up. Over a million people in Alabama are without power today.

Our Huntsville daughter and her family are OK, except for not having power. One of our news reports said some transmission lines from the Brown's Ferry Nuclear Plant were hit, so it may be several days before they get their power back. We heard from them this morning, and they are grilling the food from the freezer. They'll be camping out for awhile it looks like. They are in the process of shutting down the nuclear plant, too, just as a safety precaution, so that will delay power to many as well.

We do know of one person raised in our church who lives in Pleasant Grove whose house doesn't have two sticks standing. All her family is safe. Praise God!

I do have many memories of terrible tornado events in all the years I've lived in Alabama, so maybe it's my age showing, but I don't think I've ever been as worried about tornado warnings as I was yesterday. You could just hear the urgency in the voice of the weather men - NOT the usual hype. So, we spent the day getting our basement place ready for us to spend the night, if necessary.

We have been so blessed, but I'm grieving for all those who have lost family members and hurting for those who cannot find their loved ones. I pray they feel the peace that only God can give in times like this.

Assassination Memories

I remember exactly where I was when I found out JFK had been assassinated. It's a moment frozen in time for me. I remember seeing the assassination of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King over and over again on TV. I remember the attempt to assassinate George Wallace when he was running for President. I had watched him first hand at the infamous "Stand in the Schoolhouse Door" while I was a student at the University of Alabama. I remember seeing the Kent State Massacre on TV when it happened. I've seen way too many shocking killings over the years, from the Oklahoma bombing to Columbine to 9/11. And now I can add this senseless Tuscon killing spree to my list of horrible memories.

There's no way to justify murder. But I'm also horrified to hear that the Phelps family of religious "zealots" may boycott the funerals of the innocent people who were killed in Tucson. I'm Baptist, and they make me sick. I know there were Old Testament prophets who had unpopular messages from God, but I can't reconcile their perverted sense of purpose with the God of the Bible. The overpowering message of the Bible is that GOD IS LOVE. And there's nothing loving about intruding on the grief of a funeral.