Memorable Vehicles from The Past:
For today:
Reading blogs kick in memories. Some good some bad.
Today it was Victor’s entry about a country church.
Walking into an empty church and sitting down just to meditate,
think or pray was part and parcel of my growing up. All of the churches except
one my dad pastored was beside the church. That one church owned an old rundown
house beside the church building. My dad insisted on remodeling that for the
parsonage and saving the rent on the house the church was renting for the
pastor. One of the things that ID’d my dad was his mantra, “WE do not waste God’s
money!”
All that aside living
by the church I watched many times as strangers or church members would stop by
just to enjoy the quietness and reverence of a building built to honor God.
Of course as a boy, it was a place for me to sneak in and just
play. I was cured of that by a sweet but mischievous mama. This particular
church in Valdese, NC was all wood, no carpet and you could take off your shoes
run and slide 10-15 feet down the main aisle. Even during the day it was dim
inside. I was just finishing one of my long slides and started back for another
when a ghostly figure under a white sheet rose up from the back between the
pews. The noise it made was quiet but wild sounding like NOOOOOOOOOOO. I was
out the back thru the SS rooms in a flash and never again played in the
sanctuary!!
Yep, that was my sweet mama, such a wise woman. That was much
better than a spanking.
But it is a sad
testimony for our churches and the day in which we live. MOST CHURCHES I know
of are locked and have alarm systems. So now you cannot enter sit and meditate
unless the rector, pastor priest is present.
Yes, ‘tis sad the traveler, the work-worn person, cannot just
walk in as in YESTERDAY and enjoy it’s serene quietness and converse with God.
Shipslog
PS: We cannot think of New Orleans with out remembering our favorite restaurant 'Cafe du Monde' and the chicory coffee and Beignets!
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8 comments:
I grew up Catholic and I do remember the church open during the day at least. Sad churches feel the need to keep the doors locked to avoid vandals and thieves. I too think it is soothing to sit inside a church and to meditate and pray.
betty
Yes it is sad to see churches as big targets now days. We keep our church doors locked even during services. We alway have a person who stands watch to let anyone in that comes. My pastor will sometimes sit in the church yard during the week days, on the tailgate of his truck incase someone wants him to pray with them.
We used to love playing in church too.
Lisa
It's the devil's greatest hour when we close our churches.
Our church was broken into. Now we have security lights, alarms and cameras. And it is locked when not in use for Masses.
God bless.
Interesting and food for thought! I never considered seeking solace in a church building - outside Sunday mornings, that is.
Yes, our church is kept locked - more for the safety and security of Pastor Janet and/or the p/t secretary here alone. Come to think of it, there's always one man at the door throughout Sunday services. I wouldn't be at all surprised if a number of parishoners aren't carrying guns. Scary times.
It is sad in this day and age many are locked up so vandalism doesn't happen. Churchs on our area have had thefts. It'd be good if your mama was around to scare them off in her ghostly costume. Wouldn't that be great ! She did good !
Well you may delete this comment - it is okay if you do, but my beloved Methodist Church is biting the dust between being God driven to become people and the worldly driven. It is no longer following THE WORD OF GOD it is now following the idea that their ideas contain the word of God. They are changing in my belief what God says.
I cannot help but think how Angry GOD must be getting. It's a sad changed world that the devil is relishing in. Pray hard, I keep telling my heart, that I live long enough to see church doors swinging wide again. So Mama ghost put the fear in you. Mothers have the best insight. :)
loven'hugs from up north where I gardened too hard and scared myself.
You posted some incredible pics of New Orleans, our Senior year high school trip destination. Absolutely awesome! Then IrmaNee's last road trip we stopped to visit a dear friend, now deceased who opened massive doors of a mansion to welcome us for the night. I remember sitting on the roots of an ancient Banyan tree a few blocks away from Bourbon Street. The smells, sights and sounds were wonderful. I wouldn't want to live there, just too much chaos. As you know our Church in the Woods is a whole bunch of picnic tables under a sky-high metal roof. The pastor wears jeans and a big cowboy hat. Casual attire is required except for little ole ladies like me who want to show off my wardrobe, just kidding. I do like to dress up for church. Love and hugs from Chobee, Glenda
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