John Steinbeck and the Church.From–Travels with Charley.

In Steinbeck’s book,”Travels with Charley.”In search of America,he shares an experience he had in visiting a local church in Vermont. Sunday morning,in a Vermont town,my last day in New England,I shaved,dressed in a suit,polished my shoes,whited my sepulcher,and looked for a church to attend.Several I eliminated for reasons I do not now remember,but on seeing a John Knox church I drove into a side street and parked Rocinanate out of sight,gave Charley his instructions about watching the truck,and took my way with dignity to a church of blindingly white ship lap.I took my seat in the rear of the spotless,polished place of worship.The prayers were to the point,directing the attention of the Almighty to certain weaknesses and undivine tendencies I know to be mine and could only suppose were shared by others gathered there.

The service did my heart and I hope my soul some good.It had been a long time since I had heard such an approach.It is our practice now,at least in the larg cities,to find from our psychiatric priesthood that our sins aren’t really sins at all but accidents that are set in motion by forces beyond our control.There was no such nonsense in this church.The minister,a man of iron with tool steel eyes and a delivery like a pneumatic drill,opened up with prayer and reassured us that we were a pretty sorry lot.And he was right.We didn’t amount to much to start with,and due to our own tawdry efforts we had been slipping ever since.

Then ,having softened us up,he went into a glorious sermon,a fire-and- brimestone sermon.Having proved that we,or perhaps only I,were no damn good,he painted with cool certainty what was likely to happen to us if we didn’t make some basic reorganizations for which he didn’t hold out much hope.He spoke of hell as an expert,not that mush-mush hell of these soft days,but a well stoked-white-hot hell served by technicians of the first order.

This reverend brought it to a point where we could understand it,a good hard coal fire,plenty of draft,and a squad of open hearth devils who put their hearts into their work,and their work was me.I began to feel good all over.For some years now God has been a pal to us,practicing togetherness, and that causes the same emptiness a father does playing softball with his son.But this Vermont God cared enoug about me to go to a lot of trouble kicking the hell out of me.He put my sins in a new perspective.Whereas they had been small and mean and nasty and best forgotten,this minister gave them some size and bloom and dignity.I hadn’t been thinking very well of myself for some years,but if my sins had this dimension there was some pride left.I wasn’t a naughty child but a first rate sinner,and I was going to catch it.

I felt so revived in spirit that I put five dollars in the plate,and afterward,in front of the church,shook hands warmly with the minister and as many of the congregation as I could.

All across the country I went to church on Sundays,a different denomination every week,but nowhere did I find the quality of that Vermont preacher.He forged a religion designed to last,not predigested obsolescence.

Pictures of Jay Poore’s daughter,Haley Ha Ne Poore:July,2009

Seon Mi and Haley visited us in July.

Prediction:Ronnie Floyd to replace Morris Chapman.

Hottubreligion’s editor of the Baptist Co-hear has just announced that mega pastor,Ronnie Floyd will be the new Chief executive officer of the Southern Baptist’s executive committee  in September,2010.Floyd will replace Morris Chapman who has been frightened into retirement by the Great commission resurgence team led by Arminians,Floyd and Hunt.

Ronnie Floyd is imminently qualified to lead our convention back to the pre 1925 era before the C.P. became the means of supporting our convention financially.Floyd’s church gives almost nothing to the C.P.and like his hero,Hunt proclaims that it is the dollar amount(pre-1925 plan) that is given to the C.P. that will rescue our failing and fallen convention.

Floyd will,no doubt,have the full endorsement of  former calvinists,Tom Ascol  and flaming Arminian,Jimmy Carter.

So…Good bye Chapman and hello Floyd!!

I Was Hungy and Here is your response.

Here is a cry of need that should touch the heart of each of us:

I was hungry and you formed a humanities club and discussed my hunger.Thank you.

I was imprisioned and you crept off quietly  to your chapel and prayed for my release.

I was naked and in your mind you debated the morality of my appearance.

I was sick and you knelt and thanked God for your health.

I was homeless and you preached to me of the spiritual shelter of the love of God.

I was lonely and you left me alone to pray for me.

You seem so holy,so close to God.But I’m still very hungry and lonely and cold.

Source unknown

Robert Murray McCHENE:Gospel to a dying man.

Robert Murray McCheyne in his diary shows how a good physician goes about his most delicate and critical work.He makes six visits to talk with a sinner about his soul.

Thomas Tyrie,Step row,lowest ‘land’,ill of consumption for five years.Takes opium.

Visted,12 Dec.1836–Debate about hell and annihilation.I spoke of Lost sheep.He attentive.Has read his Bible,rather to cavil at it.Neigbors came in.

Visited,19 Dec.—-He has been asking often for me.I spoke on lost piece.He still attentive,and consents to the whole truth.

Visited,20 Dec,—-Spoke on Proverbs 1:Turn your heart at my reproof.He was sleepier than usual;yet ‘corroborated’all,as he said.

Visited 22 Dec.——Shared…the Lord opened Lydia’s heart.He was more attentive.He said that a great change had taken place,and spoke of his peace within during these two weeks.Still speaks through opium,but wonderfully sensible.

Visited 28 Dec——Spoke on Christ a substitute.Explained the whole gospel,and pressed it on him.Strangely sensible answers.Who knows but there may be some work of the Spirit here?He says that his views of his own heart and of Christ are both changed.

Visited,31 Dec.Found his cold remains wrapped up;and Margaret crying.Died on friday morning,30 Dec.,before light;no one saw him die.Thus ends this short but interesting history.There was certainly a wonderful change in the man.He took to his Bible,before unread;spoke with interest of his soul and of the Saviour;was glad of my visits,and squeezed my hand always with affection.But whether or not there was a work of grace the Day shall declare.