Pop Troy`s Anthology
Transcription
Pop Troy`s Anthology
Pop Troy’s Anthology Troy Robert Brady Edited By Elizabeth Thrash Brady 1992 Digitally Converted By Robert Martin Brady 2003 1 PREFACE After my wife published her book, "Reclaimed Memories," last year she insisted that we take "my writings" and other pertinent materials, from my files and incorporate them in book form. You now hold in your hand the printed copy of this miscellaneous assortment, which is now firmly encased in her computer. My endeavors in writing have been sporadic. Probably the first thing to be preserved in written form, with the youthful exception of a few entries in the "Diary," is the sermon published in the Elkins, West Virginia, daily newspaper in .947. I was pastor of the First United Brethren Church in that city at the time and a sermon for publication was requested by the editor. Almost all the poetry section was written during the decade of the 40's; much of it inspired by the Second World War. It was never my practice to write out my sermons. My pastors' record shows that I preached over 5000 times and the only ones I typed are to be printed in this book. My notes for each sermon were printed on half a typing sheet of paper, which fit inside the Bible I carried. Most of these fifteen were done after my first light stroke in the late 60's. It was at the request of my son, Marion, that I typed my memoirs, which comprise a large section at the front of this book. It is quite a bit different from what Elizabeth has written, although we recounted some of the same incidents. I wrote mine almost ten years earlier than she did hers. The manuscript was placed in my files and we both had completely forgotten that I had produced about forty typewritten pages. My wife was overjoyed when she discovered them while searching for materials for this book. I appreciate the many hours my wife and my son, Howard, have spent compiling this book. Elizabeth assures me that it has been a labor of love and a partial payment for the isolation I endured while she was writing her book. This year it has been my turn to feel guilty because of the long hours she has spent in front of her computer, on my behalf. My prayer is that our combined efforts may offer some pleasure to our family members and to any friends who might read all, or a part of, this book in years to come. T. R. B. 2 Introduction By Elizabeth Thrash Brady I feel that I should add a page to Troy's manuscript. I believe a few reminiscences and explanations, from my point of view, might be helpful to any who might read this book. As I typed his work into the computer I recalled vividly many things that we experienced together. A quick examination of his book will show the reader that it is divided into distinct sections, which are not related in any way. The first section entitled "Pioneers" is partly fiction, as he explains in the body of the work. Troy has a real talent in writing "word pictures," partly due to his imagination and partly to his study of maps of all descriptions. The first four and one-half pages are certainly not to be taken as authentic materials for a genealogical study, but as interesting reading, with a background of tradition. After his note on page five, the names and dates he gives have been researched by us, and are from my "Kinfolk" book. I enter the picture in his "Life Changes" section and some of the events he relates are incidents that I recorded in my "Reclaimed Memories." Some of these we both recall because they were so funny and some because they had a great impact on our lives. I thing my favorite section is the "Poetry and Song" section. I have always loved poetry and Troy's musical ability was what attracted me in the beginning. We had a good time reviewing his "Diary," and laughing at some of the entries. I began to make use of it during our first pastorate in Cairo, West Virginia As you can understand from this reading, I was a very happy mother of two sons and I just HAD to preserve a record of some of their early accomplishments. I make no apologies for this; it is easily understood by any doting mother! Although Troy preached considerably more than 5000 sermons, only a record of fifteen remain. I think this was probably all that he ever typed. Some of them I remember vividly. Of course many of his outlines were used several times, especially in revivals. He was a good evangelist and held many revivals in West Virginia, Ohio and Virginia. While president of Shenandoah College and Conservatory of Music he preached in all but three or four churches of the Evangelical United Brethren Denomination, of the entire Virginia Conference. He preached somewhere practically every Sunday! Those four years were the hardest of our entire ministry. It is a source of satisfaction now to receive literature from the school, and to know it is growing and progressing in every way, in its Winchester location. It is now Shenandoah University and received one gift of more than $3,000,000 from a single supporter last year. I think the last three sections, Joshua Green, Holy Hilarity and Fifty Years Ago, would be interesting to anyone who reads for enjoyment. They show Troy's ability to paint “word pictures." 3 Table Of Contents PREFACE..............................................................................................................................2 Introduction .........................................................................................................................3 PIONEERS ............................................................................................................................6 RICH MOUNTAIN ..............................................................................................................14 STORIES ABOUT RICH MOUNTAIN ........................................................................... 15 MY EARLY LIFE.................................................................................................................18 A CIVIL WAR STORY, as told me by my Grandfather Knaggs:............................................ 18 JUNIOR, WEST VIRGINIA................................................................................................24 LIFE CHANGES .................................................................................................................27 SEMINARY AND MINISTRY BEGINNINGS....................................................................32 BACK TO SCHOOL ...........................................................................................................36 ELKINS AND SHENANDOAH ..........................................................................................39 FLORIDA AND SINGERS GLEN YEARS ........................................................................44 POEMS & MUSIC ..............................................................................................................55 MY RICH MOUNTAIN HOME .................................................................................... 55 EMMANUEL ........................................................................................................ 56 IF I WERE GOD .................................................................................................... 57 EUCHARIST ........................................................................................................ 57 "QUEST FOR GOD?" .............................................................................................. 58 ADOBE .............................................................................................................. 58 METAMORPHOSIS ................................................................................................ 59 THE CHILDREN PLAYED ........................................................................................ 60 THANKS GIVING................................................................................................... 60 TRUE RICHES ..................................................................................................... 61 CONSECRATION................................................................................................... 61 LOOK UP! ........................................................................................................... 61 WHO ARE GOD'S SONS? ........................................................................................ 62 ORCHESTRA ....................................................................................................... 63 THE THREE MARYS .............................................................................................. 64 THE TRAGEDY OF DREAMING ................................................................................. 65 RAIN WITCHES .................................................................................................... 67 THE NECESSITY OF POETRY................................................................................... 68 WISHING BRIDE................................................................................................... 69 CRIMSON MIRROR................................................................................................ 70 BREATH OF DESTINY ............................................................................................ 71 THREE VOICES CRY ............................................................................................. 72 MISERERE FINI.................................................................................................... 73 AUTUMN REVISITED ............................................................................................. 74 MORNING WATCH ................................................................................................ 75 A MAP IS A THING OF MAGIC .................................................................................. 76 RELATIVITY ........................................................................................................ 77 CONQUEROR OF THE YEARS .................................................................................. 78 ACCUSER VS. ADVOCATE ...................................................................................... 79 HISTORY ............................................................................................................ 79 SEDITION ........................................................................................................... 80 4 THE THREE REBELS ............................................................................................. 81 STRANGE GIFT .................................................................................................... 83 THE HORRIBLE PIT ............................................................................................... 84 ROOMS .............................................................................................................. 85 PRE-HISTORIC MONSTER ...................................................................................... 85 MUSIC Early In The Morning ..............................................................................................................86 Emmanuel..............................................................................................................................87 Back Home In West Virginia ....................................................................................................88 For Ev-Un-Breth Acres ............................................................................................................90 TROY'S DIARY ...................................................................................................................91 SERMONS ..........................................................................................................................98 ARE CHRISTIANS NORMAL PEOPLE? ......................................................................................98 GOD'S DEATH--A FALSE REPORT ......................................................................................... 101 GOD'S LOVING FAMILY ........................................................................................................ 105 COMMUNISM -THE IMITATION OF FAITH.............................................................................. 107 COMMUNISM IN CONTRASTS ............................................................................................... 110 COMMUNISM-CAPITALISM-WAYS THAT FAIL ........................................................................ 113 CASSADEGA CHALLENGE .................................................................................................... 120 COURAGE FOR THE COMING CRISIS.................................................................................... 122 THE ONE TRUE CHURCH ..................................................................................................... 124 TWO WRONG WAYS AND A RIGHT WAY ................................................................................ 127 WHEN OUR MINDS LIE TO OUR SOULS ................................................................................ 129 LOOKING IN THE WRONG MIRROR ....................................................................................... 132 WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THE CHURCH SUPPOSED TO DO ................................................... 134 ADULTERY IS STILL A SIN .................................................................................................... 137 Radio Meditations ........................................................................................................... 140 Biblical Terms.................................................................................................................. 151 PEARLS OF GREAT PRICE .................................................................................................................. 151 BIBLE TERMS FOR PLACES OF THE AFTER LIFE ......................................................................... 152 CAN A CHRISTIAN COMMIT SINS?.................................................................................................... 153 JUDGMENT FOR SIN AND REWARDS FOR GOOD DEEDS .......................................................... 155 THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN ......................................................... 156 Joshua Green, Freedman .............................................................................................. 157 Holy Hilarity..................................................................................................................... 174 From Rowtown to Junior ............................................................................................... 181 Fifty Years Ago................................................................................................................. 186 Afterword by Robert Martin Brady.................................................................. 189 5 PIONEERS Things were getting much too close for comfort in the cottage. Even the rooms he added didn't make the house in the glade below the high moor large enough for his growing family. And now, with the older sons wanting to marry, and with not enough land to divide again, it was time for a decision. The offer of the British crown lands in Eire's windy Ulster County was more and more attractive. Plenty of acreage and a lease of ninety-nine years! In three generations, perhaps the crown would deed the land to successful immigrants from Protestant Scotland. Yes, Shaun MacBraiahde would do it! He would take the government’s offer and move to North Ireland. ***************** It didn't matter any longer that their ancestors came from the tiny village of Braiahde. Nobody in Ulster cared, and the Gaelic spelling was awkward enough. Most of the neighbors called them just plain 'Brady" at any rate, and it was much easier to write it that way. ***************** The closing out of the leases was just a matter of time now. The notices on the board at the Enniskillen town hall decreed it. And the prices they were asking for that poor and rocky soil! He didn't have the heart to try again at any rate. The hard freezes had ruined their crop of 'taties the last few seasons, and added to this, as it had been in the old home in Scotland the house and the neighborhood were both getting crowded. Hugh Brady felt that he was being hemmed in. The new land of America was calling! ***************** (1733) The North Atlantic crossing had been a bit wild. Twice they had thought the fourmasted schooner wouldn't make it, but the near-hurricane weather eased, and they rounded the south Jersey cape without too much damage to the ship. Now the passengers felt both reasonably safe and uneasy at the same time. The uneasiness came because the shores of this new and strange land promised unforeseen dangers and trials. But when the port of Philadelphia hove into sight at the mouth of the Delaware River, a general feeling of ease had come to all of their tensions. With the tardy and slipshod offices of the customs behind them, Brady and his ScotchIrish neighbors who had ventured with them to America moved on. They journeyed by flatboat up the Delaware to farms they had purchased along its low shores. Their experiences during the first years, raising pole cabins, and later, low houses, were no different from those of many hundreds of the immigrant families coming to this new country in the early 1700s. ***************** That 'crowded' feeling was upon him again! His near neighbors were increasing with the population of the Delaware valley at a new high. He was sick of the monstrous "Jersey" mosquitoes, and besides, he missed the hills. Wild game was getting scarce, with all those townspeople coming out to shoot deer and squirrels to add to their meager larders. He had learned of the rich limestone soils of the Cumberland Valley to the southwest. 6 Here there was larger acreage and less crowded conditions. Hugh Brady was moving again. ***************** Their new home was near the little village of Shippensburg, and their new neighbors were the 'Pennsylvania Dutch'--misnamed Palatinate Germans who had come to the shores of America to find peace after the ravages of the Thirty Years War in their homeland. Altho' Hugh Brady could scarcely understand their broken English, and didn't savor their Lutheran religion, he lived out the rest of his life there. Here the remainder of their nine children were Mom, and here Hugh and Hannah are buried, near Middle Spring Presbyterian Church, about seven miles from Shippensburg. It wasn't really wanderlust. It just seemed that the Bradys couldn't stand to be crowded! More and more Germans were coming on every boat, and they preferred to be near their own people. The blue Appalachian ridges rose invitingly in the distance, and led the Brady boys to move on. They sold their farms to the "Pennsylvania Dutch" and migrated up the Susquehanna some ninety or a hundred miles to where the river made its great bend to the southwest, after a whitewater plunge out of the mountains, around the shoulder of Bald Eagle Mountain. The village was called Muncy, and is about ten miles east of the present city of Williamsport. The men of the settlement built a fort of heavy logs, with palisades of timbers set on end against the bands of marauding Indians. They then set about the task of building their own homes. Each family had purchased enough land so that when their sons married they could divide with them and still not feel crowded. The sons and grandsons of old Hugh Brady were wise in the ways of wilderness warfare. They had observed the Indian's methods, and had stalked the wild animals for food. This made them effective in both defending their homes and in making forays against the wandering tribes that menaced their valley from the west. During the French and Indian Wars their skill was much in demand for waging the wilderness battles against the Indians and their allies from Canada on the North. ***************** The British and Colonials had hardly won their border warfare when the trouble began between the Colonies and the mother country. By tradition, the Scotch-Irish had little love for their English cousins, and after the battles of Lexington and Concord, the Brady men lost little time in joining the Colonials against the British. Just about the whole Brady clan began enlisting in the Colonial Army. Their father was too old to go, but the boys all felt the call to rebel against British tyranny. John (I). Samuel, Hugh (II), William and James marched to New England and were at the Battle of Boston. Young John (II) was a bit too youthful as yet, but he later volunteered, and was wounded at the Battle of Brandywine in 1777. Three of the sons of old Hugh became officers in the Revolution. John (I) and Samuel became captains and Hugh (II) a general. When the younger John recovered from his wounds, he again enlisted and was killed in a battle with the Indians in 1779, (now allied with the British against the Colonials). But there was still another John Brady (III), born in 1773. One of the sons of old Hugh had named his boy for his brother. 7 Samuel and James soon left the regular Continental army, and were commissioned to carry on the fight against the Indians on the western frontier. James (Jim Brady to his contemporaries) had beautiful fiery red hair, which he wore very long as a kind of badge. His neighbors joshed him about it, and on one occasion, when a woman of the community washed and groomed it for him, she remarked that the savages would delight in collecting his scalp. Jim replied that it could give them "a mighty bright light to escape by." Later, the Indians did scalp him, leaving him for dead but he lived long enough to be carried home in delirium. Jim lasted five days after his scalp was taken. Tradition says that it was Chief Bald Eagle who scalped him, but it has been proven that this old chief was either on his way down the Ohio River, or was dead himself at the hands of Jim's brother Samuel before James lost his life. Sam Brady moved west after the Revolution, locating near New Cumberland (now Va.) in the `panhandle' between the Ohio river and the Pennsylvania border. He married a Van Landingham, and has descendants in that area, and in much of northern Ohio. ***************** The Revolution, over after seven long and weary years, left John (III) Brady restless and eager to get away from the crowded and civilized country. He had inherited his family's aversion to near neighbors. He and his wife Jane (?) sold their nearly 4000 acres of Pennsylvania land Courthouse records, Williamsport), and with one child began a journey to the higher and less crowded mountain lands in the distant South. After several days travel they crossed the Potomac River, and journeyed up the South Branch of that stream, by way of the Old Fields Settlement. Near the small village of Moorefield, Va. (now W.Va.), they turned left up the narrow South Fork Valley. After continuing upstream, they came to the site of abandoned Ft. Seybert. This log fort had been burned by the Indians, and most of its defenders killed. Here, on the northwest side of Shenandoah Mountain, Brady bought a tract of land from J. Fisher.* The boundary of this land began along the top of the mountain, continued from ridgetop to ridgetop down Fishers Run to the Brandywine-Moore-field Trail. About a mile up the run from the river was a wide, shelf-like flat, large enough for a garden, orchard and a small meadow. Here John built a substantial log house.** The area of this tract of land has ever since been known as "Brady Hollow." The main bridle trail over the Mountain wound its way down Dry River to Brock's Gap on the north fork of Shenandoah River. A very few years later, in the new log house, John's wife died in childbirth. Her passing seemed more than the bereaved husband could stand and after determining that the older children could care for themselves, farming the land and killing small game, Brady took the youngest child whom he had named Samuel for his illustrious uncle, and departed on horseback. (Samuel was born January 27, 1803--by his tombstone at Mingo, W. Va.) He began a hundred mile trek into the west, riding down to the river, and upstream to the area of Oak Flat, then turned west across South Mountain to the county seat town of Franklin. This village had only recently acquired its title, with the forming of J. Fisher is buried in Old Bethel Cemetery, about a mile below the Brady cabin. Some 70 years later, John's grandson, Isaac Brady, would tear down the old house and build a frame house on the site. (It is still standing, 1982.) There is evidence that Isaac was the son of Sarah Brady Towberman, and received the land by will from her. Her husband, a much older man, died in 1827, and is buried in the old Brady graveyard, across Fishers Run from the cabin site. * ** 8 Pendleton County, in 1787. Stopping at the little wood frame building dignified by the name "Court House", he made and recorded a deed to his farm to his children. (These records were later burned in a court house fire.) He then went by the little general store and purchased some flour and salt pork to supplement their diet of small game, which he would shoot in the forest. From Franklin, the trail led across steep and rocky North Mountain, and down into the narrow trough called Germany Valley (Named for the Hessians who had deserted from King George's troops and settled there.) Threading a rock-walled pass through the west wall of that vale, he came to North Fork River. Traveling down that stream, he came to the mouth of Seneca Creek, where the Seneca Indian Trail came out of the west. Here Brady gazed upon the highest ledge of rock he had ever seen, almost 1000 feet above the valley floor. Turning left along the much better path of the old Seneca Indian Trail, they followed the stream to its junction with Long Run, then across a low pass over the Allegheny Mountain. Two days later they had traveled over four more high mountain ridges, crossing Cheat Mountain near where the village of Bemis now stands. Once over that barrier, they entered a wide valley, with much cleared farming land interspersed with virgin forests. Coming to the village of Beverly, the oldest settlement west of the Alleghenies in what is now West Virginia, John found a general store, and a small tavern. He allowed himself the questionable privilege of a meal at the tavern, and with his small son shared a corn shuck mattress with the bedbugs for one night. At the store he learned of open lands to the south, not far from where the Mingo Indian tribe had their summer hunting camp. Another day's journey up the valley, named Tygarts for two brothers who explored it in the early 1700s, brought them to where the encroaching hills narrowed the flat lands to a mountain hollow. Turning right up a small stream called Elkwater Run, Brady soon recognized, from the many sinkholes and stony outcrops, the fertile soil of limestone ledges. Here he built a small lean-to shelter for himself and his son. (NOTE: Up to this point the story has been a mixture of tradition, fiction, and conjecture. With the exception of the first name given, Shaun MacBraighde, all names are authentic, the dates are fairly accurate and places reliable. The details of travel are imagined, but are based on a careful study of maps. Revolutionary historical accounts and details about the Brady family movements are based on facts. John Brady's story after his move to Ft. Seybert area is based on family tradition. It is unfortunate that the Franklin Court House records were burned.) John Brady's nearest neighbors were a family named Ware. They had a daughter named Susanna. After a reasonable time of grieving over the death of his first wife, who lay buried in Brady Hollow, John began to pay court to the Ware daughter. according to Marriage Record book No. 1, Page 14, in the Randolph Co. Court House, Elkins, W. Va., John Brady and Susanna Ware were married on March 12, 1808, by Robert Maxwell, a local Justice. Susanna bore John two sons and five daughters. Their names were Allen, Christian (m. Alkire), Ellen (m. Coburn), Nancy (m. Elias Simon, 1831), Ruth (m. John W, Abbott), Sarah (m. Eliah Butcher), and William Sherman. 9 William Sherman Brady This last named son is the progenitor of the Bradys with whom we are especially concerned. He met and married Frances Jane Lemons in 1942. He and his sister Ruth were licensed at the same time, at Philippi, Barbour Co., in 1842, and were married in a double wedding ceremony. Frances Jane was the daughter of James and Elizabeth Jackson Lemons, from Bath Co., Virginia. (Marriage bond, Bath Co,, "James Lemmons and Betsey (sic) Jackson." (Betsey was a first cousin to the famous "Stonewall" Jackson, Confederate General in the Civil War.) William S. and Frances Jane first settled on Dumpling Run, on land they bought from a Mr. Henderson.* They sold this small acreage and bought about 300 acres on Grand Camp of French Creek. Upshot County history gives the date of 1837. He "teas a farmer and had fifteen children." (Ibid) The deed for the 300 acres is dated September 19, 1868. He paid for the land in full in two years from the date of the deed. The names of the Brady children and their spouses are given in the above history as follows: 10 1. Selina B. ("Aunt line") 1843-1917 m. Lemuel R. Cutright. 1850-1928 2. Delilah J. ("Aunt Lile") 1845-1935 m. John W. Loudin (Bro. to Sam # 6) 1853-1921 3. Caswell E. ("Uncle Cas") " m. Martha Phillips. 4. Allen Ware ("Uncle Bo") 1849-1921 m. Ellen E. Perry (d.3-31-1882), Celia Burr (d._____), Mary Nixon, 11-6-1849 to 5-23-1928 ("Mollie") 5. Granville Bland ("Uncle Gran") 11-22-1852 to 8-22-1898, m. Mary Elizabeth Row, of Barbour County. 6. Lucretia E. ("Aunt Crete") 1856-1914 m. Samuel W. Loudin 1851-1930 7. James D. ("Uncle Jim") m. Bertha Gould. 8. Loyal Newton ("Uncle Lock") (8-20-1860) m. Sarah Crites,(d. Jan. 1914) (Moved to Canton, Herrick, Belmont, Ohio) m. Emma McKean. 9. Martha S. ("Aunt Mat") 1863-1941 m. Sidney Perry 1863-1944 10. William Tecumseh Sherman ("Uncle Sherm") 1865-1938 m. Hattie Tharp 1864-1944. 11. Idella Alice ("Aunt Dell") 1867-1926 m. Ward Phillips (Divorced) m. Henry Alestock 1869-1949 12. John Calvin ("Uncle Cal*) 1-13-1851--1924 m. Melissa E. Phillips (1851-1925) 13. Perry ("Uncle Ped") Simon Brady m. Ollie Phillips. (Two of the children probably died in infancy.) Frances Jane (Lemons) Brady died Oct. 26, 1882. Her tombstone reads "Aged 57 years. 10 mos. 25 ds." This means she was born in December of 1824. Her Spouse, Wm. S. Brady, died July 22, 1889. He was born at Brady Gate, Randolph County, W.) Va. in 1816 (C. H. Records, Buckhannon). The information was supplied by his son, Wm. T. S. Brady. Both Frances J. and Wm. S. are buried in an abandoned cemetery at the site of old Laurel Fork Methodist Church, about a mile below the present Laurel Fork U. M. Church, and not far from the Adrian-Evergreen Road. Wm. S. had only a fieldstone at his grave, but Frances had a large thin marble one broken, and repaired by T. R. Brady). A new headstone for both is now in place (1980). How wonderful it would be if we had only possessed a little foresight in our earlier years! I (Troy R. Brady, the writer) knew my grandmother, Mary Row Brady so well, having made my home with her during and after my senior year in high school. How I wish I had asked her more about her earlier life and experiences. As it is, I do not know how or where she met and married my grandfather, Granville B. Brady, fifth in the list of children above. But meet they did though their homes were over 40 miles apart, with roads almost impassable at times. One tradition is that the Andrew Jackson Row family, being deeply interested in religion, made a pilgrimage to Indian Camp Rock, a few miles from the Brady home. This rock was a great overhanging cliff of the Homewood sandstone, which made up most of the high cliffs and semi-caverns of Randolph, 11 Barbour and Upshot Counties. The rock was named so because of the remains of many campfires and the smoke-darkened stone roof, presumably left by the primitive tribes living under it. The overhanging stone shelter was capable of sheltering a hundred or so people, and was used for revival-type "camp meetings" by United Brethren and Methodist people of the area. A grove of great oak trees surrounded the rock, and the worshippers would come in their covered wagons and camp in the grove, often for weeks at a time. The A. J. Row family were of the Church of the Brethren (Dunker) faith, but denominational lines were often crossed at such large community services as the Indian Camp Revivals. My grandmother was Mary Elizabeth Row (pronounced like the original German spelling "Rau"). Her father was of German descent, the son of Benjamin and Sarah "Sally" Rinehart Row. The Row family came to Barbour County by way of the Valley of Virginia. Benny and Sallie were married on March 4th, 1830. (Marriage Register, Shenandoah Co., 1772-1853, p. 343.) They bought a farm and mill at Newport, now in Page County, Va., from Benjamin Strickler. Discouraged by a flood which destroyed the mill, they sold their holdings to Reuben Foltz, and traveled some 140 miles west to a site on the Tygarts Valley River, near what is now Junior, W. Va. The Foltz family still own the land and mill site. We met a descendant of Reuben Foltz, 82 years old who lived on part of the farm in 1977. The deed from Row to Foltz is dated 2-18-1843, For c. 250 acres, price $2000. (Deed book E, p. 291, Page Co. C. H., Luray, Va.) Benjamin Row built a new mill on the Tygarts Valley river. It was a type known as "Undershot", meaning that the water ran in a flume under the mill wheel, instead of a trough from a high dam over the wheel. Rocks making a part of the flume could still be seen the river at the east end of the bridge at Junior when I was a young man. When they were first married Granville and Mary Brady moved to Buckhannon, W. Va. so that the young husband could work at his chosen trade, stonemasonry. He helped to build at least one of the cut stone buildings at the State Hospital for the Insane at Weston, W. Va., 16 miles west of their home. A loose board in a scaffold caused him to fall from the third floor level to the second, where he landed across a joist, breaking several ribs. While living in Upshur Co., at least three of their nine children were born, including my father, Walter Parley Brady, on Feb. 1, 1880. Granville and Mary were married on Dec. 25, 1874.. Walter was their third child. ********************** Returning to the area of Mary's home, they purchased land adjoining her Father's farm on the south, an area which now includes the entire upper part of the town of Junior, then called "Rowtown." The mill, store and post office were operated by Mary's father. A large vein of coal was discovered outcropping along the river just below the mill, and in the early 1880s a railroad was built from Elkins down the river to connect with the Baltimore and Ohio R. R. branch coming up the river from Grafton, W. Va. to Belington. Senator Henry G. Davis, the railroad magnate, then renamed the town for his son, Henry G. Davis, Junior. He arbitrarily did this to many towns in the area, naming them for his family members and business associates, and for himself. (Note the names of Elkins, Davis, Gormania, Dobbin, Henry, Gassaway, etc.) 12 Granville Bland Brady (1), born 11-221852. Killed in a rock quarry accident, near Junior, W. Va. He married Mary Elisabeth Row, born 5-9-1858, died 322-1927. Both are buried in the Brethren Cemetery, one mile north of Junior, on the west side of the river. Mary E Brady, 1913, Junior, W. Va. An enlargement from the group picture of the family. My father, Walter Parley Brady (Photo about 1900) 13 Since "Grandpa" Row and my Grandfather Brady owned all of the area of the town and mine site, they wisely refused to sell any of the surface land except for the coal tipple site itself They sold instead to relatives and to people of the area who wanted to work at the mines. This is why the town escaped the blighted and regimented look of the typical mining town. RICH MOUNTAIN A family trait of the old Bradys seemed to come out again in my Grandfather. When the town of Junior began to grow, he felt crowded and restrained. With a neighbor, he sold out and went 15 miles south, buying together 165 acres on the west side of Rich Mountain, on the waters of Cassity Creek Grandfather took 110 acres, deeding 55 acres to the neighbor who came with him (who incidentally never paid a cent of the money Grandfather advanced for the land.) When my father was a small boy, they moved to the mountain farm. Until their log house was built, they lived in a rented shanty belonging to a black family. The wife was the daughter of a slave family who lived nearby. Her name was Victoria, and her parents were Jerry and Mandy Baxter. Deed to the Brady Rich Mountain Land; Recorded in Deed Book "Q" Page 497 (Randolph County, W.Va.) This deed made this 6th day of February, 1890 between Chas. M. Frasure and G. A. Frasure, his wife, parties of the first part, the County of Randolph and the State of W. Va. and G. B. Brady of the County of Barbour and State above, and Ft. W. Corley of the County of Randolph and state above, of the second part. Witnesseth that for and to consideration of the sum of $350.00, Sixty-five in hand paid the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, $285.00 to be paid on or about Nov. 1st, 1890, for which the parties of the second part has assigned a note to the parties of the first part, executed by W. A. Simon to Grant William, for $175.00 with interest amounting to ten dollars on same, due about Nov. 1st, 1890. The parties of the first part do grant, bargain, sell and convey with covenants of General Warranty unto the parties of the second part, the following tract of 171 acres of land more or less, Situated in the County of Randolph on the were, of Cassiday’s Fork and bounded as follows. 'Beginning at a Birch and Chestnut on top of Briggs Sugar Camp ridge, the beginning corner of a survey of 125 Acres of land made for Jonathan Arnold now owned by Patrick Crickard, thence with two lines thereof N 85-1/2° W--148 poles to two small hicories (sic) and two maples, a corner thereof, S. 81° W 155 poles to White Oaks in a line of land run and sold by David Goff, Commissioner for forfeited and delinquent lands in the year 1840 thence with said line 1 variation S 50° E 95 poles to birch and White Oak on the back of Said Cassiday's fork, corner of survey of 108 Acres of land made for William Armstrong, thence with a line thereof S 87-1/4° E 208 Poles to a leaning Hickory, corner thereof, also a corner of survey of 84 Acres of land made for said Armstrong, thence with a line of the last mentioned survey S 87-3/4° E 120 Poles to a White Oak with pointers in line of a survey of 150 Acres, of land made for Allen J. Currence and W. B. Currence, thence with said line due North to two small Spanish Oaks on top of said Sugar Camp Ridge, a corner of said 150 Acres, thence with another line thereof N 60° W 104 Poles to 2 beginning corners thereof also a corner of the 125 Acre survey, thence with a line of the last named survey S 20° W 7 Poles to the beginning, with its appurtenances and a vendor’s lean is hereby retained on the above described property to secure the deferred payments. Witness the following signatures and seal. C. M. Frasure G. A. Frasure When Grandfather bought the land, he was told that it was so free of rocks there wouldn’t be enough to build a chimney. This was partly true, for the rocks were too small for that purpose. The ground was almost literally covered with small stones, from 1 to 10 14 inches across, and about an inch thick. Later, when my dad tried to farm it, with my brother, sister and myself helping, he told us that if we could strike a hoe down without hitting a stone, he would give us a dollar bill. His money was safe! Three or four of my father's younger brothers end sisters were born in the one and onehalf-story log house he and his neighbors raised. Much later, when I was six months old (about March 30, 1907) my parents moved into that same house, moving back to town briefly, then again to the mountain place, leaving finally when I was eleven years old. My father, Walter P. Brady, spent the happiest years of his life on the "mountain place" as he called it. He and his brother Charlie, roamed the virgin forests with their dogs, "Rob" and "Old Boss". There were still bears and panthers in the woods then, and my dad told many interesting tales of their encounters with them. Dad inherited the Brady aversion to living with near neighbors, and I believe he spent the balance of his years still searching for the home of his boyhood. Even after I was grown and married, he moved back again to the area, with a dream of rebuilding the old home, which had been torn down many years before. His dream was never realized. On the following pages I will recount some of the stories he told me about his earlier experiences in the woods of that rocky mountainside. STORIES ABOUT RICH MOUNTAIN (As told to me by my father, Walter P. Brady) One evening Charlie and I went to bring the cows home for milking. We walked down the county road to the foot of Jerry Ridge, then south down the hollow to Chestnut Lick. As we turned east up the creek, we noticed the dogs growling low and cowering close to us. When we found the cows and started back down the path, the cattle acted frightened. Just then we looked up on a rock ledge to our left, and there was a panther lying flat on his belly and wringing his tail! The cows started to run, and I hollered for Charlie to grab one of our young heifers by the tail while I grabbed another. They took us down the creek at about 15 feet to the jump, then up the hill, the cowbells ringing like crazy! When we got to the head of the lane, there was our Dad, with a big "two-hander" switch! "I told you boys about running those cows," he said. We told him about the panther, and he held off the whipping. That night some of the neighbor's sheep were killed. The dogs trailed the panther to a cave. One of the neighbors, named Marshal Scott, was a fearless man, and knew a lot about animals. One of the men went for a lantern, and Mr. Scott then asked someone to go with him into the cave. All the men were afraid to go in. All right, I'll do in myself, then," he said. When inside, he called out, "Boys, when I hold the lantern over my head, I can see eyes. If one of you will come in and hold the light up high, I'll shoot him." Nobody would go in. "Look out, then, he's coming out." He held the lantern in front of him and advanced toward the panther. Afraid of the light, it crawled along a ledge above Mr. Scott and ran outside, where one of the men shot him. **************** One moonlit night, Charlie and I were up at the Wes' Pingley place. The Pingleys lived at the top of the mountain, about two miles from us. We had just passed the 'Kiah 15 (Hezekiah) Corley place, half way home, when we came around a bend and there in the road was the biggest bear you ever saw, standing on his hind legs. He was almost on us! All we thought about was getting home, and since the road was wide there, we ran by him like a couple of deer. When we came to the rail fence about 50 yards above the house, (it was nine rails high!) I jumped it without touching a rail. Charlie was fat, and he hit the top rail on his stomach, and you could have heard him grunt all the way to the house. When we got to the house, I stopped outside, and Charlie just fell through the door on the floor. We had company that evening. Dad said "What's the matter, Charlie?" He was so out of breath he couldn't tell him, so I went inside and told him about the bear. The next morning Dad took us up to where we had seen the bear, and sure enough, there were these monstrous tracks in the road, plain as day! **************** I had heard about the Snake Den Rocks, but had never been there before. One warm day in the spring, I walked out on top of the bluff and looked down below me. There was a pile of snakes that looked to me like it was four feet high, lying in the sun! The stench of them made me dizzy, and I almost fell off the cliff into them. There was a big rock on top of the cliff, as much as I could do to roll it. I "rasseled" it over to the edge, and aimed it at the pile of snakes. I didn't stay to see what happened, but you never heard such rattlin' in your life as they did! **************** Another time, me and Charlie were out sangin' (digging ginseng) and we were wading through a patch of fern, when we heard a rattlesnake right near our feet. Charlie ran back out of the fern patch, and I jumped up on a big flat rock. I had a rifle, and started shooting snakes. They kept coming out from under that rock, and I killed 22 rattlers before I got 'em all. **************** We didn't have much trouble with snakes when we had the dogs along. They would plunge at the snake, get it to strike, and when it was full length, would grab it near the head and shake it so hard it would fly in two. Rich mountain had a lot less snakes when we moved away from there! **************** Grandfather managed to eke out a living from his rocky acres on the ridge above “Painter” (Panther) fork of Cassity Creek until his youngest child was born. Perhaps the best place to list his children, their birth dates, the persons they married, and the dates of their deaths: 1. Celia Rosella, (10-9-1876--3-3-1936) m. Wm. Cox, divorced. (4 children) m. Charles Alford (6 children) 2. Charles Benjamin, (7-29-1878--11-19-1953) m. Rachel E. Moore (8 Children) 16 3. Walter Parley, (2-1-1880--9-1-1959) m. Bergia Knaggs. (5 Children) (2) m. Virginia Simmons (1 Child) (3) m. Lina Hannah 4. Maud Virginia, (10-27-1882--2-28-1940) m. Homer Harvey, (5 children) 5. Glen Harrison, (4-17-1884--6-3-1968) m. Grace Campbell, (5 Children) 6. Lulu Elizabeth (10-20-1887--1-18-1968) m. Ford Valentine. (4 children.) 7. Pearl May, (7-6-1891--9-4-1969) m. Frank Matthews. (3 children) (Matthews-mother's first cousin) (Died) m. ? Bales, m. Jack De Sau. 8. Oscar Dayton, (5-17-1895--2-5-1980) m. Belva Poling. (1 Child) 9. Francis Granville, (4-3-1896--12-8-1973) m. Bena Crivella (2 children?), m. Nevada Phillips (Names in bold are my parents.) Grandfather moved his family back to the town of Junior about 1896, rented a house, and began working at his old trade of stonemasonry. (Evidently his money was all used up on the old farm.) There is a very high cliff of the Roaring Creek (Homewood) sandstone about two miles upriver from the town, and he began working at the quarry there, getting out the stone for both the Henry G. Davis mansion at Elkins and the culverts for the Western Maryland railroad. On August 22, 1898, he reported for work, and was asked to labor under a large, loose stone, hanging precariously above him. It weighed about two tons. He told the foreman that he was afraid the stone would fall. The 'boss" then inserted a pick in the crack move the rock and pried at the hanging piece. He then said, "Go on under it, it's perfectly safe." Grandfather had worked only a few minutes when the stone fell, crushing him to death instantly. He was only 45-3/4 years of age, and left seven of his nine children at home. My father Walter was the oldest, and he was 16 at the time. Francis G. was a toddler just past two years. Mary Row Brady was left with the task of providing for her family. This she did by working as a midwife, delivering most of the babies in the town and surrounding area. I was born in the village of Junior, W. Va. on September 30, 1906. The attending physician was J. W. Strother, M. D. My father had married Sarah Bergia Knaggs on Oct. 30, 1904. She was the daughter of John Robert and Mary Jane (Mathews) Knaggs. "Bobby" Knaggs was the son of John and Susan Odell Knaggs. His grandfather (my greatgreat-grandfather) was also John Knaggs, who brought his two sons, John and George, to America from England. Tradition says they came to what is now Page County, Va. John II (1822-1897) and Susan Odell were married Sept. 22,1842, Susan was 23 at the time. They lived near Martinsburg, (W.)Va, The 1860 census listed them as John and Susan Nags (sic). Their children were Anna (Maxwell), Sarah (Turner), Kathryn (Martin), Ella (Martin, Phillips), William,(-Springfield, Ohio), Joseph Odell (m. Rankin), Martinsburg, W. Va. and John Robert, my Grandfather. He was only 4' 10" tall and weighed about 95 pounds. 17 My father and mother, Walter Parley Brady and Sarah Bergia Knaggs Brady Mary Jane Mathews Knaggs was the daughter of Benjamin F. Mathews and Sally Squires, from Clarksburg, W. Va. Sally had at least two sons, my great uncles, Andrew Jackson "Uncle Jack" and Asa L., who ran a general store in the town of Junior for many years, then moved to Clarksburg. MY EARLY LIFE Granddad was affectionately known as "Bobby" in the town of Junior. He moved there from Rehoboth, (near New Lexington) Ohio, in 1900, with his children. They were George M. (m. Hester More), B. Franklin (m. Bessie Newton) Sarah Bergia, (1383-1921) Wm. Andrew (m. Camilla Kathryn Wilfong) and Elizabeth Loula (m. Eli H. Phillips) (18921974). My mother was born at Irondale furnace, Taylor Co. (not on the map, 1982). Her father was a coal miner by occupation. He was known or his devout Christian life, and was often moved to tears when the service was 4eeply emotional, as it often was in the Methodist Church at Junior, in which he was a charter member. ************************* A CIVIL WAR STORY, as told me by my Grandfather Knaggs: 18 “When the war started, my father and older brother joined the Confederate army. However, as my second brother (17 years old) and I grew older, we were swayed by the speeches of President Lincoln and our personal feeling for the negro slaves, so my brother, who was just older than I, enlisted on the Union side. I tried to enlist, but was too short to see over the trenches. (4' 6") 1 did get a job carrying messages for the army as a scout. “One day I was running along the top of a ridge, with a message written on rice paper so I could swallow it if caught. I came to a rail fence which had been partly laid down where the path crossed it. I jumped the fence, and landed between two Confederate pickets! I popped the message in my mouth and swallowed it. The soldiers took me down the hill to their camp, and the officer there tried to get me to tell what was in the message. I purposely hadn't read it, so I couldn't tell. "They put a rope around my neck and threw the other end over the limb of a tree, pulling it tight. Then they asked me where the Union forces were, and I refused to te11 them. Two or three times they pulled the rope tight, but I still refused. “About that time, there was much rifle fire starting up the hollow, and the Confederates grabbed their guns and started running in the direction of the gunfire. They seemed to forget me, so I took off the noose and got out of there in a hurry! I am still thankful for that rifle fire." “I heard my brother say many times that he would often have the sights of his rifle on a Confederate soldier, and would drop the gun barrel because the man looked so much like his father or brother." John Robert Knaggs, born 9-29-1850, in Mary Jane (Matthews) Knaggs, born 7-9- 19 Winchester, Va. Died 9-30-1927, in Junior, W. Va. Buried in Mt. View Cemetery on the hill above that town. His wife was Mary Jane Mathews. 1857, died 4-10-1939. Born in Phillipi and died in Douglas, W. Va. Buried in Mt. View Cemetery, Junior, W. Va. **************************** There were no high schools in the area of Ohio where my mother grew up, but she continued to attend school, taking advanced classes, including algebra and English, using Ray's advanced arithmetic and McGuffey's readers. She also studied music, and after moving to Junior, gave lessons in piano and the reed organ. She and my father both sang in the choir at the Methodist Church. My Dad remained a doubter in religious matters until he was converted at age 60, in a meeting I was holding at the United Brethren Church at Churchville, near Weston, W. Va. **************************** As soon as my father married, his old dream of an idyllic childhood came to him again. He and his brother, Charles, went back and repaired the old log home on Rich Mountain, built on a lean-to kitchen, and when I was six months old, took my mother and me back there to live. Our nearest neighbors were a black family named Green. They lived about a mile away, down off the ridge. They were fine Christian people. Their teen-age girls helped my mother with the housework. "My mother was not a healthy person, and died when I was fourteen, She studied the Bible faithfully, but had nobody to discuss theology with her. Consequently, she had some mildly unorthodox ideas. We had a book made up of copies of a Presbyterian Sunday School weekly, called the "Sunbeam." Many of my early ideas about religion came from this book. Their second child, my sister Zylpha, was born while we lived there, 'tho my mother went back to Junior, to stay with Grandma Brady for the “birthing" During this period also, when I was about two and one-half years old, our neighbor Joshua Green was buried in a white coffin and his hair was snow-white. Years later, I asked my mother if I had ever seen a black face surrounded by white. She was amazed that I remembered it, and told me that when she held me up to look at the face of the black man, I became frightened, and screamed so that she had to take me out of the house. It was my very first memory. In September, 1910, just before my brother Bland was born, we moved back to Junior. In the three years before We moved back to Rich Mountain, we lived in at least five houses, including a very brief time in a mining village named Teter, in Upshur County. It was during these years that my sister Blossom was born, and also when the large group picture was taken of Grandma Brady's Family, There had not been a death in the Brady family since that of Grandpa in 1898, and all of her children lived in Junior at that time. In October, 1913 we moved back to Rich Mountain. We went by train to Coalton, Va. where Dad met us with the horse and buggy. The train ride made me horribly ill. It was dark when we forded a stream called Roaring Creek. Dad stopped in midstream to let the horse drink, and when I looked down and saw the star's wavering reflection in the water, I began to vomit. I don't recall much of the trip from then on to the home of Bolivar Phillips, where we stayed overnight. (It was their son, Eli, who married my mother's only sister.) It was my very first experience sleeping on a feather tick. 20 Next morning I was well again, and I awakened to a glorious autumn world. Sister and I walked the two miles to our old log home. I was unbelievably happy! Two more things I recall from that morning: I awakened to an unusual sound, and was told that it was the cry of a bird called a Guinea fowl, It was also my first taste of biscuits made with home ground flour. Delicious! I remember especially the bright October day and the falling leaves, the singing waters of Cassity Creek and the final mile up the hill to where the old home came into sight. Even after three years, I recalled how the house looked when we left. Then began three of the happiest years of my youth. Back Row (L to R): Chas. M. Alford, Walter P. Brady (Troy’s Dad), Glen H. Brady, O. Dayton (“Big Nose”) Brady, Lulu Brady, Francis G. (“Shake”) Brady, Frank A. Matthews, Homer Harvey, Chas. B. (“King”) Brady. Third Row (Women): Anna Cox, Verl Cox, Celia Alford, Bergia Brady, Grace Brady, M ary E. (Row) Brady, Pearl Matthews, Maud Harvey, Rachel Brady. Children On Laps (second row): Lonnie Alford, G. Bland Brady (standing), Blossom Brady, Coral Brady, Agnes Mathews, Elizabeth Matthews, Paul Harvey, Madge Harvey, Milda May Brady. Front Row (On Ground): Earl Cox, Murl Alford, Francis Alford, Granville Cox, Zylpha Brady, Troy Brady, Lillian Brady, Lelah Brady, Carl Brady, Ray Brady, Mary Brady, Ruhl Brady, Mabel Brady, Wilma Brady, Mellie Brady. (Grandfather, Granville Bland Brady, killed 1898. All these persons were living in Junior, W. Va.; no children or grandchildren had died.) 21 Blossom, Zylpha, Bland & Troy Brady 22 My Rich Mountain Home, painted from memory. The next spring, just before World War I began, was a hard time financially for us. I clearly recall the morning in May when Dad took a screwdriver to our piggy bank and removed the last 35 pennies we had in the world. He was going to walk the five miles to town and buy a small sack of corn meal. When that would be gone, he had no other plans. After Dad left, a very tearful mother took her Bible from the stand and went to her room, closing the door after her. We children instinctively kept very quiet. In a little while, Mommy came out of her room, tears gone, and a light which could only have been from Heaven shining on her face! In that moment, a yearning began in my heart to find that kind of radiance for myself. When Dad came home, we not only had the corn meal, but also two letters. One was from Great Uncle 'Lock' Brady. He was ill, and wanted to come and spend the summer with us, and take treatments from my dad, who was a chiropractor. (Outlawed in 1912, through a M. D.-sponsored bill.) The other letter was from a Mr. Zigafoose, county road supervisor, asking my Dad to contract repairing the dirt road for a total of four miles from the Cassity Road to the top of Rich Mountain. Mommy prayed through to a victorious answer! Uncle Lock came, and brought his son Dale, who was my age. Dale's mother had died the previous January, and the task of raising Dale was left to Uncle. Every Sunday during that summer, we gathered in the living room to sing hymns from two dog-eared old hymnals. In spite of the extra work, my mother seemed especially happy. I'm sure it was because she had a spiritual ally in the kind old uncle. Uncle soon recovered from his illness, and was able to help repair the road. Dale and I helped all we could for seven-year olds. Another memory of that 1914 summer was the arrival of the Wheeling Intelligencer, a daily newspaper Uncle had sent to him. It brought us the news of the beginnings of World War I. In that summer also, I saw my first aeroplane. It was a small biplane, which passed over our house. We children ran into the house and crawled under the bed. We were sure the plane would drop a bomb on us. Picking berries seemed almost a daily task that summer. First was strawberries--tiny ones about the size of the end of a finger. Our backs were tired long before we had enough for a delicious shortcake. In July, it was blackberries, of which we picked and canned over 60 half-gallon green glass Mason jars. (Dad said they would taste better than snowballs in the winter time! Our faithful dog always explored the patch before we went in, and on two occasions, his excited bark revealed large rattle-snakes, which Dad promptly killed. We had a very large garden, with a row of currants and gooseberries down the middle. All kinds of vegetables and fruits were canned 365 half-gallons in all. Beans and apple 'snitz' were dried over the kitchen stove (Indianola No. 8 wood range) after being strung on lengths of twine string. Our apple trees bore profusely that year. Frost killed all of the fruit in the valleys, but our 2900 foot elevation meant warm nights in the still air. Our apples were in high demand, and at a good price. Since work was scarce, Dad traded apples for groceries, and we ate well that winter. On Christmas eve, Dad came back from town with a troubled look on his face. The house at the Green Farm was occupied that year by a ne’er-do-well family of white people named Amos. Dad had stopped there on his way home, and they were their evening meal. It consisted of corn bread made of only meal, salt and water. A dish of hot water was in the center of the table. The father would break the hard corn pone over the edge 23 of the table, and the children, seven girls, would dip the bread in the water to make it soft enough to eat. I remember well the tears in Dad's eyes as he told us about it. Christmas morning dawned clear and bitterly Dad harnessed the horse to the sled, lined the box body with gunny sacks, then loaded two bushels of potatoes, two of apples, and about 20 jars of canned foods, then wrapped everything in blankets against the belowzero cold and delivered it to the hungry family. When he came back his happiness was contagious as he told how the children jumped with joy at the sight of the wonderful provisions. 1915 was an especially memorable year. Dad was determined to make the old farm provide for his family, so plowed all of the orchard with his `hillside plow and planted it in corn, and part of the meadow in front of the house in potatoes. (On a trip to the site of the old cabin with my brother in 1950, I found the point of the plow in the leaves of the forest now grown over the old farm. I have that point hung in my shop.) Sister Zylpha and I would take a row to hoe, and Dad would hoe his row and help my four-year-old brother Bland keep up with his. In July, the third and last hoeing came, and I will never forget mom blowing the old conch shell for dinner (12 o'clock) and the feast before us; new green beans, cooked with the bone a large ham, sliced tomatoes, early apple sauce, and home made bread. An accident with our home-made coasting sled bruised my right ankle and shin bone, and in late November, I developed a bone abscess (osteomyelitis). For two weeks I was delirious with a high fever, and neighbors advised amputating my limb. Mother decided against it, saying she would pray, and Dad could treat the leg with poultices and hot baths. Just before Christmas, the skin broke open, and over a quart of fluid was drained. The fever broke immediately and seven pieces of the shin bone worked their way through the flesh. It was over a year before I could walk. On January 21st, 1916, my sister Rosalyn was born. (She died Dec. 19, 1951.) Grandma Brady came to help with the work, then took me home with her for one month. I attended my very first school session then. My cousin, Carl Brady lived with Grandma, and he would take me to school on his sled, and carry me into the schoolroom. My mother always had regular school sessions for us children at home during the winter, so I advanced rapidly. I spent only one day in the first grade (my Aunt, Lulu Brady, was the teacher.) One week was spent in the second grade, where Miss Belva Poling (later to became my Uncle Dayton's wife) was the teacher. The third grade was taught by Dessie Gall, who later married my Dad's first cousin, Stacy Row. Tests rated me 4th grade in most subjects, 5th in geography (my favorite) but only 3rd grade in arithmetic. It was always my most difficult subject. Dad came for me in late March with the horse and buggy. By this time I was very homesick. We drove home through snow thawing in a bright sun, arriving home after dark. What a time of joy for me! Uncle Lock's girl, Lelah, was there when I arrived. Her daughter, Gwendolyn, was born at our house. JUNIOR, WEST VIRGINIA In the fall of 1917, my parents decided that the children should be in school, so we reluctantly left the home where we had been so happy and moved to Junior. Here I completed grade school, taking the state examination at the end of the seventh grade, skipping the 8th. I made the second highest grade in the county, and my cousin, Stark Shomo, made the highest. Our scores were 89.6 and 91.8% . We had moved again, living in the house just behind the school, a six room, eight-grade institution. It was to this 24 house, while a freshman at Belington High School, that I was called home to find my mother dead. It was on March 29th, 1921. She had been seriously ill since Christmas, and died just four days before her 38th birthday. I was the oldest of five children, left motherless in my 14th year. Sister Rosalyn, the youngest, was just past four. The law forbidding the practice of chiropractic was repealed in 1920, so Dad began his work again. His method was to travel from house to house, so that his patients could rest after treatment. This kept him away from home from 9 a.m. until about 8 p.m. The second year in high school was a distressing one for me, with poorly prepared meals and unkempt clothing. Sister Zylpha, only 13, was in charge of the household. The high school was at Belington, four miles from our house. The first year, four of us, cousins, walked each way. By the second year, two of the boys, brothers, were able to afford an old Model T Ford. I and the other cousin paid 20 cents a day for transportation. I made mostly only B and C grades, distracted by Mother's death, home conditions, and in my last two years, by my interest in girls. In my junior year, my stepmother came. She had a violent temper, and we soon dashed. I left home about September first of my senior year. Too proud to ask for help, I slept in the band practice hall, on the floor in front of the gas heater. My cousin, Stark Shomo, discovered this by accident, and made me go home with him. We told my dad, and it was arranged for me to go to Grandma Brady's for the winter. I was given work on the coke ovens at Gage mine on Saturdays. I made five dollars a day for shoveling coke from under the coke screen. This I gave to Grandma to help buy the groceries. She kept my clothing much more presentable, and I had a good diet. On May 28, 1924, 1 graduated from Belington High School. Uncle “Shake” (Francis) Brady was out of work that summer, and staying with Grandma. He and I painted houses for an income. Dad had wrecked his Model T Ford, and we bought it for ten dollars and remodeled it into a 'runabout' to haul our ladders. We made one trip to Morgantown to try to find work, and had to rework a connecting rod bearing five times in the 180 mile trip, over mostly dirt roads. I received an offer to work on the grounds of Davis and Elkins College in return for part of my college expenses, so I enrolled there. Failing to get a personal loan for the balance because I couldn't pass a physical examination for insurance, I had to leave after one month. I was able to get a job breaking stone on a local road job. I had to walk seven miles each way, and work ten hours for $3.00. When a Mr. James Bennett offered to get me an insurance loan of $200.00 and enroll me at Mountain State Business College, in Parkersburg, W. Va., I was glad to get away from the 'slave' labor on the road. Grandma Brady co-signed my note for the $200 and I left on November 17th, 1924 on what proved to be a move of destiny. Now, since I am leaving the town of Junior permanently it seems to be a good time to tell something of that town. It was in many ways an unusual place. In 1920, while we were living in my Uncle Glen Brady's house on the hill by the town reservoir, my mother and dad reviewed the population of around 700 in Junior, and found that we were related to every family there, by blood or marriage, except three. These later became related by marriage. I have noted that great-grandfather Row and Grandfather Brady had owned all of the land on which the town was located. The streets were surfaced with cinders from the coke ovens, a long row of which paralleled Main Street. In 1925, a concrete road was 25 completed from Elkins to join the four miles of bituminous cement connecting our town to Belington, which had been completed in 1919. It now U. S. 250. I am sure that every male in the place was nicknamed. There were four men named Charley Bennett: "Long Charley," "Short Charley," "Mountain Charley" and "Post Office Charley." The last one was so named because he was in love with Birdie Lee, the postmistress, and had to be elbowed away from the window in order for anyone else to ask for the mail. He later married her. My uncles were "King" Brady, "Big Nose" and "Shakespeare" (later shortened to "Shake"). The last named because he was always writing rhymes in school. The Midnight Gang" was a group of fellows who stole chickens from the local coops and roasted them over the coke ovens. One of them was 'Cateye' because he could see so well in the dark inside the chicken coops. His brother was 'Weasel' because he could crawl through such a small hole to get inside the coops. One irate West Junior resident, awakened by squawking chickens, caught one of the gang going over the fence and filled his backside with birdshot. Other nicknames were "Pigtail" Corley, "Tater Digger" McDonald, who had boasted how many potatoes he had dug in a day, and "Knothole" Daniels, who bad cried when someone told him his father had fallen and ran a knothole in his eye. One young lad, reading in class about an Irishman's shillelagh, had called it a shilololly," and his nickname was sealed by that mistake for the rest of his life. I'll always remember him for one incident: One warm day his father had told him not go swimming, but the boys talked him into going along to the river. All were in the water in 'birthday' suits when someone saw his father coming. He managed to get his trousers on before his dad caught him and began to paddle him with a board. The boy had his hip pocket full of kitchen matches (for smoking cornsilk) and they caught fire the second lick of the paddle. 'Shilolly' began to yell "Ouch! Pa, Fire! "I'll give ye fire, you little devil!" Then a patch of brown appeared on the trousers and smoke began to roll. "I God, ye are afire!" the old man cried, and shoved the boy off his knee into the water. One woman in our town loved to hear gossip. She would not repeat what she heard, but relished every scandal. She had heard that the local policeman was visiting another woman when her husband was away. When she saw the man coming down the sidewalk, she went out and leaned on the gatepost with one elbow. When he was near enough, she said, "Is it so that you have been going to see _ when her man is away?" "Who told you that?" he blustered. "Well, I heard it, and I thought if anybody ought to know, you would." A maiden lady operated the local millinery and dry goods store in the village. She ate her meals at a boarding house next door to her store. The local bank cashier was new in town, and came in to dinner. He sat down by the old maid. His sleeves were rolled up, and he had very hairy arms. She looked at his arms and said, "My Gawd, man! Ye must be part hawg!" 26 LIFE CHANGES To get back to my story: I traveled by train to Parkersburg with Mr. Bennett, and stayed overnight at his home. On the way from the depot to his house, I rode on my first street car. The next morning I enrolled at the business college. They sent me to the R. A. Wyatt residence for a room, at 521 Ann St. I lived there until I left Parkersburg for Elkins, W. Va. on March 10, 1926. I worked the last eight months before I left town, for the State Road Commission, in the old city building on Fifth Street. It was during the last ten days in Parkersburg that I met someone who was to influence the rest of my life. It was Sunday, Feb. 29th, I was bored, with nothing to do. I knew a family named Ireland who lived on Seventh St. and had several stringed instruments. I was there, playing the guitar, when a neighbor girl came in to ask if the daughter could go roller skating with her, (It was the only time she had ever been in their house!) I was introduced to the girl, who appeared to be about 15 years old. She was very beautiful, and in spite of her apparent age, I was immediately interested in her. The interest must have been mutual, because she stayed on while I played a few tunes on the guitar. Someone suggested that we go car riding, and I was paired with the new girl. I brought her coat from the back room, and was helping her on with it. I put my arms around her from the back, and kissed her on the cheek. Her quick reaction was to slap me soundly! This made me even more interested. She kept me at arm's length in the car, but agreed to let me come to her house to see her that evening. I was there every night for the next ten days, and before I left town, we were really interested in each other. Incidentally, she was actually eighteen and a senior in high school when we met. Her name was Elizabeth Thrash. I had a temporary job at Elkins, W. Va. in a restaurant, and worked there until about April 20th, when a bookkeeping position opened at the Kendall Lumber Co. mill office. The address was Cheat Haven, Pa. R. F. D. While there, I boarded with a Pennsylvania German family named Spacht, I attended church and Sunday school at two nearby country churches, where I met a girl named Helen Bowers. She would later marry James Smith. After a chance meeting 29 years later, Helen and Jim became our good friends. We were to try to comfort her at Jim's death in 1974, and in October, 1979 at the passing of her son, James, Jr. of cancer at age 49. (We learned at Christmas time in 1991 that Helen had died in May of that year. E. T. B.) Elizabeth and I were to be married that fall, but kept setting the date ahead. When I visited her on May 30th, we finally determined on July 4th for our wedding. The intoxicated boss at the mill quarreled with me, and I resigned just four days before I was to marry. I left Morgantown, W. Va. on July third arriving in Parkersburg at 9 p.m. The next day was the 150th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of our country. Our wedding was scheduled for 2 p.m., but the minister was late, and it was nearer three o'clock. The minister at First Methodist Church was on vacation, so we settled for the Rev. J. L. West, pastor of Stephenson M. E. Church, South. 'Best Man' who stood beside me was Holly C. Newell, a friend from a small dance band I played in. Maid of Honor was Cosie Whipkey, from Elizabeth, W. Va., the town where my bride had lived before moving to Parkersburg. Elizabeth had graduated from Parkersburg High School on the 28th day of May before our wedding. That evening we baby-sat for Elizabeth's older brother, Gotthart, and his wife Edna, with their baby daughter, Juanita, while they went to the movies. We then spent the night 27 with them. The next day was a legal holiday, and we walked out to the City Park to see the fireworks display. I was supposed to report for work as a waiter at Colebank's Restaurant in Elkins on Wednesday, so we left at 9:10 p.m. on the B. & O. Passenger train for Junior, changing trains at Grafton. The tracks of the valley route were where the Grafton Dam now covers them at several feet deep. Heavy rains upstream had made high water in the Tygarts Valley River, and it was beautiful and impressive to watch the water from the train window. We arrived in Junior at 6:05 a.m. and walked to my dad's home. I was so proud of my beautiful wife, and introduced her to everyone on the street. She said later that she knew I was related to everybody in town, from the introductions. The next day we went to my Uncle Frank Knaggs' in Elkins, found a room at the Goley residence, 315 Randolph Ave. After paying our room rent, we had just nine pennies left in the world. We still have those pennies! On my 20th birthday, I had an argument with the proprietor where I worked, and left my job there. We took the train that same night for Parkersburg. I tried to find work in an office, but had to settle for a job polishing Parker Pen bases at the Vitrolite Co., an opaque glass manufacturing plant, at Vienna, W. Va. After three months riding the interurban cars at 28 cents a day, we decided to move to Vienna. (That 28 cents was a big to us at that time as was the road toll of around $3.00 Grandson Drew paid to get to his position in Orlando from Titusville, some 60 years later. Added by E. T B. Jan. 1992) This move proved to be a part of my destiny also. We first had rooms at a Mrs. Ayers, then moved to Mrs. Amelia Wilson's, on Williams Ave. Here our son, Granville Marion was born, on May 24th, 1927, at 6:40 a.m. **************************** The Holy Spirit just wouldn't let me alone! My mother lived one of the most beautiful Christian lives I have ever known. Dad's unbelief was certainly in no way caused by a lack of holy example on her part. Left alone with only her children for companionship much of the seven years she lived in the Rich Mountain home, and denied the help of the family of God in the church, she had to rely on her own spiritual resources. I never saw her really angry, and my father often said the same of her. Brought up by a sincere Christian father and a somewhat pharisaical mother, she was completely honest in her faith, She lived in a period of strong denominational rivalries, but didn't believe in passing one church to attend another. We respected this belief even at her death, holding her funeral in the Junior United Brethren Church, a block from our house, even though she was a member of the Methodist Episcopal congregation. My father's people were all members of the Church of the Brethren (Dunkards, they were called, from their practice of baptism by 'Trine Immersion,'--three times under the water, face foremost.) Grandma Brady seldom attended church, having to cook for a houseful of boarders. However, her kindness and compassion toward the unfortunate marked her as a godly person. She took two orphan Italian boys into her home when their parents died, raising them to manhood, and helped to raise three of her grandchildren, after having nine of her own family. Mother taught us to pray at a very early age, and was often with her Bible, in spite of her health, and the care of five children. Her daily life was a holy inspiration. 28 One Sunday when I was about twelve years old just as I was going into the Methodist Church, I looked at the pastor in the pulpit, and an almost audible voice spoke to me and said 'That will be your life's work." Later, although deeply grieved by my mother's death, the spiritual implications of that event did not weigh on my mind. In my 16th year, a teen-age girl singer was featured in a revival at the Methodist Church. She was very beautiful, and when she came back to invite the young men personally, very few of us could resist her. I went forward and knelt at the altar rail for a long time. Nobody gave me any instructions or counseled with me. After a while, two women who had known my mother well, knelt beside me and said, "Son, you are all right. Get up now. Your mother raised you right and you are a good boy." How little they knew of my transgressions and feelings of guilt. Such ignorant persons should never be allowed to instruct anyone on his knees, trying to find forgiveness and peace! I tried to live perfectly for a week, and failed miserably. If that was the Christian life, it was not for me! I felt occasional brief stirrings of the Spirit, but they did not mean much to me. When my young wife and I were approached about joining the United Brethren Church at Vienna, the pastor, the Rev. Harry Miller, counseled with us. My companion had been converted as a child and I told the pastor I had "gone to the altar" at sixteen. We were received into the church on Easter Sunday, 1927. Personally I was ignorant of what it all meant, but vividly recalled the voice I had heard at the age of twelve. I told the minister of this, and was duly licensed as a Quarterly Conference minister in June after we had joined the Church. **************************** In September of that year, we were persuaded by a relative to move with them to Akron, Ohio. Being deeply convicted of my hypocrisy, I felt relieved to escape my obligations at the Vienna Church. Discouraged at failing to find adequate work, and ill from poor working conditions at a factory, I went back to my father's home in Mabie, W. Va. in late October. My little family stayed in Akron with her folks, who had moved there in the meantime. I worked with my dad and brother, making crossties for a lumber railroad. Our income, in those early depression years, was at a bare subsistence level. In March, 1928 I started to hitch-hike back to Parkersburg. I became ill when I stopped at my cousin Cad Brady's home, and was in bed for a week. When I left, he gave me one of the last two dollars he had. In Parkersburg, I was able to get work at the Baldwin Tool Works for a short time before I was rehired at my old job at the Vitrolite Co., with a promotion and a raise. My family was reunited, and a little later, we began payments on a little home about four blocks from the church to which we belonged. We were able to get day care for our infant son, and Elizabeth went to work at the Viscose Co., a new rayon fibre plant in South Parkersburg. Our destiny was shaping up again, even though we didn't go to church then. I was still a doubting and rebellious person as far as religion was concerned. Reverting to my old life, I began playing with a small dance band in road houses. In bad company, and subject to all kinds of temptations, loss of sleep, etc., I lived a very careless life for the next two years. I can recall cursing the Rev. Harry Miller when the church bell awakened me on Sunday mornings after I had been out very late the night before. Our home life was far from happy, and a divorce seemed imminent for us. Once, when Pastor Miller remonstrated with me about my road house dance band activity, I said "If you are going to be that narrow-minded you can take your old church and go to hell with it!" 29 Here I want to relate a story Mother Brady told me when I lived with them. During the times mentioned above, as Pop Troy was living a hapless lifestyle, he would often drink a lot, coming home rather inebriated. He also smoked heavily. Mother Brady finally put her foot down and told him that if he ever came home drunk again, she would pack it up and leave him. Well, he got it in himself one day to pull a prank on her. Just before arriving home, he swished some vinegar and splashed some on his shirt. He came in the door, staggering and talking like he was smashed. Mother didn’t say a word. She walked into the bedroom and began packing her bags. She wasn’t kidding about leaving! She said it took Pop Troy about two hours, begging and pleading, to convince her that he truly had not been drinking and not to leave him! The joke was almost on him! RMB Concerned church members called on us to no avail. One deeply Christian brother, T. R. Hudson, brought milk to our door from his home dairy each morning. One day, as I reached for the bottle, he said, 'Brady, it hurts me to see you outside the church!" There were tears in his eyes as he said it. I was deeply convicted by his words, and felt that he truly cared for me. My cousin, Stark A. Shomo, had moved to Vienna in the meantime, and had joined the Baptist Church. He had been my best friend through high school, and was concerned about the way I was living. His church was having a revival in March, 1930. On Saturday, March 28th, he came to our house to ask me to sing with a quartette that night. I consented if I could get away in time to play for a dance that night at a hall in downtown Parkersburg. The hall had earned the nickname "Blood and Thunder." The church service didn't mean much to me, but my wife, who had gone along, renewed her covenant with God. My cousin hadn't given up. The next day he came to ask me to practice and sing again that night. I cannot recall the name of the visiting evangelist from Marietta, Ohio. However, it seemed to me that someone must have told him all about me. His sermon described me exactly! At it's close, Stark laid his hand on my shoulder and said, "How about it, Brady?" I went down from the choir loft, took the preacher's hand and said "Whatever it takes to find God, I'm going to do it." I never was more sincere. Walking home from church, I had to go by Pastor Miller's house. As I came near, words that I had long ago read in the Bible came to me: "If thou bringest thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee, go first and be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." I knew that I could not pass that house! The interurban tracks seemed knee-high as I slowly made my way across them and up to the door of the Vienna U. B. Parsonage. The night was cold, with flakes of snow blowing in a stiff breeze. I rang the doorbell, and Harry Miller came to the door. Then I hesitated in a kind of daze. Harry said, come on in, Brady. You're freezing us." I remarked about the snow, and then said "I didn't come here to talk about the weather." Harry said, "Yes, I know." After greeting me, his wife excused herself, seemingly to go to bed. Harry and I talked and prayed until about three o'clock in the morning. He gave me the counsel I needed, and I finally said, "It's just a little clearer to me now." Mrs. Miller came back into the room, fully dressed. She had spent the almost five hours in prayer for me! Harry said "The revival is over at the Baptist Church. Why don't you go home and pray about this, and come to prayer meeting Wednesday and tell us how you feel?" I started home in the dim light of the moon showing through the clouds. About a block away, I met the devil. He said, "You are not going to be silly enough to tell your wife about this, are you? You'll he out with the boys at the Wildwood Inn, playing for the dance tonight" My reply was quickly given, "Let me alone, Devil! I'll not only tell my wife, but I'll tell everybody I meet!" Suddenly all that I had ever heard about joy came to me. I 30 was just gloriously saved! I felt that I could reach down and touch the tops of the houses with my toes! I recall my hand on the doorknob, and then awakening "Betty" and my sister Blossom, who was staying with us, keeping our son and doing the cooking while we both worked. We didn't bother to go to bed but just stayed up and rejoiced the rest of the night! I was afraid the people at the office (I had been promoted from the factory) would give me a hard time because of my decision. I went to the office about seven o'clock, to pray for help until the others came at 8:30 a.m. As I prayed with bowed head at my desk, there was suddenly a bright light, with the sense of a Presence, just across the desk to my right. I was afraid to look directly at the light, and tried to tell myself it wasn't real. Then I went behind the desk to the window, to see if the sun was shining. It was a dull, cloudy morning. I sat down at my desk, over-whelmed. Suddenly a voice spoke, Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world." The light and the Presence went away. Incidentally, the office crowd never did give me a difficult time in my new-found life. On Wednesday we went to prayer service. Vienna Church had a great midweek service, with an average of over 100 attending. A time of witnessing was always a part of the hour. When I finally found courage to stand, I could do nothing but weep and smile. Many gathered around me, shaking my hand and embracing me. I found that night that more than 30 people had my name on their prayer lists. No wonder I couldn't sleep at night! Often I would come home from a dance, and read the Bible my wife had hopefully given me for an anniversary present. I was trying to find a way to peace without going by the 'Way of the Cross.' I would usually end up in tears. During that summer, I often failed in my Christian life, but always came back to a renewed effort. In November, the church was in a revival. One night my wife stayed home with Marion and I attended services alone. When I returned, I said "Something is wrong with me. Everybody else is having such a good time at church, and I am miserable!" Betty said, "Troy, I know what is wrong with you. God wants you to preach and you are not willing to answer the call" I asked "Betty, if I entered the ministry would you go with me?" "Of course I would! Didn't I promise when I married you that I would always go where you went?" she replied. In that moment, full surrender came. The flood tides of joy overwhelmed me! The Holy Spirit took control of my life then and there! The way seemed plain ahead, and I received the gift of prophecy. That gift is not one for foretelling the future, but for 'telling forth' the message of God. The word comes from the Greek term 'Prophetos,' which means to speak out God's message. This experience was my receiving the fullness of the Holy Spirit. This doesn't mean that I couldn't sin, or fail in my daily life. I often did. But it did mean that I couldn't do it and escape being miserable for it! I was elected Class Leader for the church, which meant that I was responsible to lead the mid-week service each Wednesday night. This helped me to "grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." My license to preach, which had been granted to an unconverted sinner three years before, was renewed. I began to think of how I would prepare and train to be a minister. Robert Evans, who was licensed at the same June 1927 Quarterly Conference in which I was given mine, was graduating from Seminary in May, 1931. I had to work, but Betty went to Dayton, Ohio with Pastor Miller for Bob's graduation. She returned with the news that President Harris had encouraged us to come on to school in September, regardless of our lack of finances. 31 I gave notice of my intention to leave my work at the Vitrolite Co. The Superintendent J. P. Lindsey, of that plant, advised me not to take the poorest churches when I graduated, but to demand more money. (He was a Roman Catholic.) As it turned out, I actually did take the poorest charge in the W. Va. Conference upon graduating in 1934. The W. Va. Annual Conference, United Brethren in Christ Church, meeting that year at Salem, W. Va., voted to grant my Annual Conference license to preach, and I received my certificate on September 6th, 1931. The service was in the chapel at Salem College. What a memorable day for me! Pastor Miller had gone to conference earlier in the week, and I was left to conduct the mid-week service. Still testing my call to preach, I went early to the church, and spent the time on my knees, praying for proof, as a kind of "Gideon's fleece." I asked that if my call was real, that we have two conversions in the prayer service. (It was not unusual to have just one.) After a seemingly ordinary service, one young woman came forward. Her seat companion stood back, weeping. I went back to speak to her, and she came forward without my saying a word to her. God had given me the proof my doubting soul needed. SEMINARY AND MINISTRY BEGINNINGS On Sunday evening, September 13th, 1931, we drove out of Vienna in a 1919 Model T Ford Car we had purchased for $25. We were on our way to Dayton. We stopped overnight at Sedalia, Ohio, where we stayed with Aunt Amanda and Uncle John V. Tenney. They were wealthy farmers who had left W. Va. about the turn of the century. Aunt Amanda was Betty's mother's sister. We left after lunch on Monday, drove in to the back circle at the Seminary dormitory, and unloaded our trunk and suitcases. We were to stay at the school, and I had work as a night watchman at the Dayton Malleable Iron Co., working three nights a week from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. My companion did washing and ironing for single men students to help with expenses. Since we could use the same textbooks, and tuition was only $100.00 extra for my wife, both of us enrolled in classes. Our son, Marion, just past four, was left asleep, his breakfast on the desk, and upon awakening played with other children in the dormitory until classes were out at 12:30 p.m. I can recall one time when we were completely out of money, and began to pray together for help. The next morning a letter came from our home church, with the funds we needed. "My God shall supply all your needs," the word of God promises! At the end of the first year's sessions, we found ourselves uncomfortably in debt. We decided to literally "camp out" for the summer. We borrowed a tent and a large canvas fly, and were allowed to set it up on Harvey Comer's farm, about five miles southeast of Dayton, off Germantown Road. Young people from Olivet Church which we attended, would come out in the evenings and bring food, and share with us at picnic meals. Some seminary students also came out, and one friend, David Lloyd Ringland, spent several nights with us, sleeping in his car, His sister and brother-in-law, the Ed Griffith family, were good friends and student pastors at Antioch Church, some ten miles northwest, on the Wolf Creek Pike. Soon after my conversion, I read a book called "The Victory of Mary Christopher" which revealed the joys of sharing one-tenth of one's income with God, for his work. We 32 committed ourselves to do this, and were faithful tithers. I did not work at the night watchman's job in the summer. Our only income was from being a "branch manager" for the Dayton Daily News. I was to receive $7.00 per week if I collected all that was coming from the carrier boys. For two weeks I collected only enough to allow me $2.50. I reasoned that God wouldn't expect me to give Him 25 cents of this, so for two weeks I wasn't a tither. Thursday night of the second week, Betty said "We have two small cantaloupes and a half dozen ears of sweet corn left to eat. It will last until noon tomorrow." I went up the creek, knelt down beside a log, and promised God that if He would supply our need I would never again fail to pay the tithe. For the first time, someone on the hill above me began to play an old reed organ. The tune was "Jesus Savior, Pilot Me." I literally ran down the creek bank to the tent, rejoicing! We ate our food the next day, and 1 drove to work in the afternoon. On that day, I collected more from the carriers than I had ever received. On the way home, as I drove by the house of the lay leader at our church, a Mr. Elliott, was setting by the curb, a market basket full of groceries by his side. He stopped me and said, "Last night about eight o'clock, I was praying, and the Lord told me to give you these." Eight o'clock was the time I was praying down by that log! When school began, we arranged to stay in the basement of the home of the Palmer family, the Sunday School superintendent at our church. This was not very satisfactory, since the basement was cold and damp, so we moved out after Christmas, to a small two-room shell of a house on the back lot of a Christianson family. Our heat was from a small oil cook stove, and we were often cold at night. In the spring, a young mother from our church died. Her husband, Roy Weatherly, needed someone to cook for him and care for his son, who was our boy's age. We moved into his comfortable home until after our graduation from Seminary. We both did well in school, receiving two of the highest grade averages in our class. A earful of folks from our church in Vienna came over for our commencement. Pastor Miller, Frieda Newlon, my sister Blossom, Betty's sister Ruby, and her brother Ted came. They had fun having their pictures taken in our academic robes. They brought a nice gift from our Vienna Congregation. (Some cash and "Pastor's Life Record" book E.T.B.) Remembering our pleasant camping experience in the summer of 1932, we decided to do it again after graduation. I built a small camping trailer of plywood, and we parked it along the bank of Wolf Creek, on the farm of Mr. Seybold near Antioch Church, where our friends the Griffiths had been pastor. That summer I worked full time at the night watching job, taking the place of a student who had gone home after commencement. It was a very dry but pleasant summer. My wife's niece, Lonald Belt, spent some time with us. Our seminary experience was during the heart of the Great Depression, in the years 1931-34. This made God's provision for us all the more a miracle. We had given our Model T to John Mills, my wife's brother-in-law, and bought a 1929 Model A. We drove this car back to W. Va. and attended Annual Conference sessions at the Weekley Memorial Church in Charleston, W. Va., where I was ordained on September 6th, 1934. I was assigned to the Cairo Circuit, 58 miles around to all churches, at a salary of $340 for the year. The stationing committee had a rough time finding a pastor that Huntington First Church would accept, finally sending our old pastor, Harry Miller there. we sang until late afternoon, waiting for them to agree. One old song I will never forget was repeated over and over: 33 "O how sweet it will be, in that beautiful Land, So free from all sorrow and pain; With songs on our lips and with harps in our hands, To greet one another again." A Mrs. Neece, from Terra Alta, rejoiced with long and loud shouting, as she walked the aisles. One old pastor, when I told him I was assigned to the Cairo Circuit, said, 'They'll starve you to death out there. They'll starve you to death." Dr. F. H. Capehart was our Superintendent. He and his wife were our personal friends. The day after conference, which was Monday, they took us out to see our new home. The parsonage was only partly finished, and had not been lived in for four years. One church had held a "pie social" in it, and some exuberant soul had thrown pies at the walls and ceiling. Wallpaper hung in great ribbons from the walls. Betty walked into the kitchen, sat down on an old bench and wept. "I don't believe the Lord would expect us to live in a dump like this!" she cried. Mrs. Capehart berated her husband for sending us there. (We found out later that a man in Dayton, Ohio, who didn't like my plain preaching, lied about me, saying I was a "holy roller." He told the Bishop of that area, who passed the word on to Bishop Batdorf. He in turn said that I should have the poorest circuit in the conference. He had ordained me the day before we saw the old parsonage!) Dr. Capehart said to his wife, "Now, mama, we'll find some way." One of the trustees, a Mrs. McKeown, owned a house nearby which was empty, and she let us live there until the parsonage was remodeled and repaired. It was after Thanksgiving, 1934, when we finally moved into a partially completed home. The men of the churches, who were working part time for the WPA, a relief work force spawned by the Great Depression, gathered on off days to work on the parsonage. The unfinished top floor was sawed off and the roof lowered. The central hallway and old stairwell were widened into a living room, with a small bedroom on either side. A breakfast room and larger bedroom were added. Men from our home church at Vienna came out one Saturday and wired the house for electrical current, which had never been done. Our old friend, Jim Reed, who later also entered the ministry, led the crew. In those days, the "new" preacher was supposed to ‘preach around' at each of the churches, to give them a sample sermon. The Conference Superintendent would then hold the Quarterly Conference, formally hire the pastor, and set the salary for the coming year. At that meeting, a layman who wanted the old pastor back, said, 'We don't want any little greenhorn out of the seminary for our preacher!" In spite of that, I was hired, and the salary set for the year, $340.00. From this sum I had to buy food and gas and oil to drive over 12,000 miles. Fortunately, each of the churches held regular "poundings' for us, at which the people brought groceries, produce, canned goods and meat. Otherwise we would have gone hungry. We were overpaid seven dollars for the year. We were not alone in our poverty. Eighty of the around 100 families in our churches were on WPA (government relief) jobs at 535.50 per month, which was only $9.50 more than we were being paid. A part of my work was to hold at least two weeks evangelistic meetings in each church. Our first was scheduled for Big Run Church, nearest the parsonage, Oct. 28 to Nov. 13, 1934. I spent the weeks before the meeting calling at every home within a 5-mile radius of the church. Many of these had never had a minister in their house. 34 The meetings began with an almost visual struggle with Satan! Two families in the congregation had not spoken to each other for five years. I was led to do some plain preaching about forgiveness and reconciliation. On Friday night of the first week, the two women met at the altar and settled their differences. Six young people from those two families made their decisions for Christ the same night. My text was Matthew 5:28-29-the one that led me to pastor Miller for reconciliation some four and one-half years before! Our second meeting series began at Davisson Chapel ("Low Gap") on Nov. 18th. It proved to be the "great awakening" for that congregation. The house was crowded night after night, as beautiful fall weather prevailed. Results led us to protract the meetings for five extra nights, until December 7th. There were 78 decisions, the most in one series of services in my whole ministry. The congregation has been spiritually alive ever since that memorable series. At least one minister has been called from that congregation. He married the teacher from the local school, who was converted in those meetings. She had claimed to be an atheist, and came to hear the sermon to determine whether I used good English before her pupils! Poor as we were, we still wanted another child, and were delighted to find that Elizabeth was "expecting" early in 1935. Our second child was born on October 24, 1935, and proved to be the joy of our lives in those often discouraging times. We named him Howard Landis Brady, for two of our favorite professors in the seminary. We were sent back for the second year to Cairo, and received a raise of salary to $450, and were overpaid $35. My father's second wife deserted him, leaving him with a twelve year old daughter, my half sister Lois. He was only 55 years old, but was almost blind with cataracts and an eye injury. They had no place to go, so I went to Coalton, W. Va. and brought the two of them to our house, just two weeks from the day of Howard's birth. They stayed until March, and Dad's family and I managed somehow to have one of Dad's eyes operated on, giving him good vision. He was able to drive a car, and resume his work. Dr. Capehart was determined to promote us to a better paying charge, and in spite of the Cairo request for us to return for the third year, we were moved to the Union circuit, near New Haven, W. Va. They promised to pay us $850 per year, and we felt rich! I had convictions against the use of commercial means of raising money for the church, and made the mistake of stating in my first sermon at one church that I would not accept money raised in that manner on my salary. The "Ladies' Aid" president sat just in front of my wife, and she overheard these words, "Just let him whistle for his salary." Well, whistle or not, in the three years I served that church, they never did pay my salary in full. We had a gracious revival at old Union Church (The oldest one on W. Va. conference, founded 1835) with 71 decisions. The services started the night we returned home after being kept away by the 1937 Ohio River flood for two weeks. We had gone to our home church at Vienna, for the dedication of the new educational unit, and the flood waters came up while we were there. Dr. Ray N. Shaffer became our superintendent while we were at Union, and he planned to move us to the Broad St. Church in Weston, W. Va. at the Conference of 1939. However, an older pastor was given preference, and we were moved to the Freemansburg Charge, with the parsonage at Pricetown, four miles west of the town of Weston. Our salary here was $900 per year. While in a good series of meetings at Churchville, my father came to visit us, and made his first public confession of Christ there. When that happened they told me that I shouted aloud. I wasn't conscious of the fact that I did it! 35 On Sunday, May 4th,. 1980, I had the joy of bringing the message at the 100th Anniversary of the Churchville congregation. It was blessed to recall the wonderful times we had shared together in the Lord. BACK TO SCHOOL In 1942, Annual Conference met at our home church, Vienna, W. Va. I was returned to the Freemansburg Charge, but was struggling with the conviction that I needed more education. I had asked about a student pastorate in the Southeast Ohio Conference, so that I could attend Otterbein College, at Westerville. One month after Conference, I received a wire offering me the Harrisburg-Pleasant Corners charge, 31 miles from the college. After much prayer, we were led to accept the offer, and resigned reluctantly from a happy pastorate to return to school after eight years as full time pastor. Memories of the Freemansburg Charge include the Sunday morning, Dec. 7th, 1941. 1 went to the door at the close of the service, and Ernest King, who had baby-sat with the children while his wife came to church, came running across the street and told me that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor. When Elizabeth heard the news, she went around to the back of the church and shed a few tears. Even though it was a student work, I received $100 more salary than the work at Freemansburg paid me. I arranged my classes to attend college on a MondayWednesday-Friday schedule. I stayed at home the other three weekdays, spending them in study. I did my pastoral calling and sermon preparation in the evenings. Our son, Marion, had to change schools for the last year of high school, attending at Grove City. Howard was in second grade, and had only to walk next door to the schoolhouse in Harrisburg. Gasoline was rationed in those war years, and I was allowed only a "C" ration card. Many times it would not last for the 186 miles I had to drive weekly. It was necessary to catch the bus at 5:30 a.m., change buses in Columbus for Westerville, arriving just in time for 7:30 classes. In spite of my heavy schedule, and having been out of school for so long, I managed an "A" in all subjects except one. This was French II, making a "B" in that one for the first semester only, then bringing it up to an "A" and graduating magna cum laude. Since I had only 3 semester hours to complete for the A. B. degree in June, 1944, I enrolled at Ohio State University in the Political Science Department for the fall term, completing the 3 hours at Otterbein by writing a thesis for honors, using the subject, "The Jews, and Their Prospects for a Just and Durable Peace." So I had the unusual experience of getting two degrees in three months, getting the A. B. at Otterbein in June, and the M. A. in Political Science in August of the same year. Elizabeth was a loyal and a devoted wife during these busy years, working full time to help us pay expenses. The first year, she worked at J. C. Penneys in Columbus in dress sales; the second year as sales person for the National Biscuit Company. The next year they reverted to their pre-war practice of using only men for this work, so she taught first and second grades boys, from 6 to 15 year-olds, at the Orient School for the feebleminded. This year was interrupted by the necessity for a serious operation in February. I had preached for a revival meeting in the United Brethren Church in Elkins, W. Va. (my home community) in 1941. 1 felt a definite leading from the Holy Spirit to go to that very small congregation to lead them in the building of a new house of worship to replace 36 their very dilapidated one. I wrote of this feeling to Dr. T. L Miles, the conference superintendent. He and the Bishop concurred, and assigned us there at conference time in September, 1945. It was an eventful year for us, since our older son, Marion, after finishing high school and one year along with me at Otterbein and working one year at the Goodrich Tire and Rubber Co. in Akron, Ohio, had joined the navy, and was sent to do submarine patrol duty on the North Atlantic. This added to our very heavy burden of the graduating year, the new assignment and the move from Ohio back to West Virginia. Since I am leaving Ohio, this is a good time to divert to a more humorous vein. I found a strong contempt among native Ohioans for my home state, especially on the part of those who had never visited that state. My French teacher, Dr. Gilbert Mills, was from Buckhannon, W. Va. Once, while studying a French play, an old French king had a court maiden come to him on the throne, and gave her a pinch of snuff from his gold snuff box. One of the girls in the class said, (in English) "Dr. Mills, they still rub snuff down in West Virginia." Professor Mills said to me, 'They have us there, don't they Brady?" A student who worked in a local grocery said, "You'd be surprised how much snuff we sell right here in Westerville at the local grocery store." Several girls spoke up simultaneously, "Oh-h-h no! Not in Westerville!" Prof. 'Buckeye' Altman stated in my English class: "People still live in log houses with dirt floors over in West Virginia." He had never been there. I can state positively that conditions are no more primitive in West Virginia than in southern Ohio. In fact, the dirtiest home I was ever in was on the highway, 13 miles southwest of Columbus. I was asked to visit a sick man in that house, and found a dying man, lying in a bed with two hens roosting on the head of his bed. Chicken lice were so thick that I had to keep stamping my feet to keep them front crawling up my shoes to my body. I never saw anything that bad in my home state! Once I did have a similar experience, but not quite so dirty, I went home with some young folks to stay all night during a revival. We were seated around a stove in the living room, when I distinctly heard a pig grunt. When I looked up inquiringly, the father said, "Oh, you're lookin' for Samantha. She's layin here by my chair. She grunts when I scratch her back." When bedtime came, I followed two big teen-age sons between two beds in a tiny room, to a ladder nailed to the back wall, We climbed to the high loft, and I went to bed in a sagging mattress between the two boys. It was in March, and snow was blowing in where the mud had fallen out of the 'chinks' between the logs in the wall. We had only one old World War I army blanket over us. In spite of their body odor, I was glad for the heat of the two bodies before morning! Another experience was unforgettable. I had been warned not to go home with one family, but one night during a revival, we had a very heavy rain. Besides myself, only one other person showed up at the church, a young man from that home. I read a scripture lesson, and had prayer before the young man said, "Now, Preacher, you have to go home with me tonight. There is nobody else here." Well, we walked for a mile up a steep hill in the red mud. I had been warned. The odor was almost unbearable! The boy hung up his lantern and said, "Hey, Paw, guess what we have for breakfast? Preacher!" "Put him in your bed. You can sleep on the cot," said 'Paw. Man and wife were in a bed in the 'front' room. (The woman weighed over 400 pounds. She wanted to be baptized by immersion, but the pastors were all afraid to try to lift her out of the water.) 37 The son picked up the oil lamp from the table and led the way up a steep stairway to the second floor. It was a "story and a half house, with the sloping ceilings common to such. These were four teenage daughters, lying in two double beds in a room without partitions. The boy put down the lamp, took off all his clothes, and lay down on the cot. "You can have my bed there," he said, indicating another double bed. "Do you blow out this lamp?" I asked. "Hope, we leave her burn," he replied What was I to do? I had to get into my pajamas in some way, and while the girls all had their eyes closed, I had no way of knowing if they were asleep, or "playing 'possum." Because of the slope of the ceiling, the bed would go no closer than three feet to the wall. I bent over, after having turned the lamp down as low as I dared crawled back in the space behind the head of the bed, and changed my clothes. I came out, turned up the lamp, put my shirt over the dirty pillow, and crawled into the filthy sheets. In a few minutes, I felt something crawling on my back. I caught the insect and crushed it between my finger and thumb, and from earlier experiences, knew from the odor that I had caught a bedbug. I fought those bugs all night until about 4:30, when the early June daylight gave me relief. When I threw back the covers, A whole battalion of bedbugs scurried for cover into a hole in the old straw mattress. At six o'clock, the alarm sounded downstairs, the old man's feet hit the floor, and he began to sing, "Going Up to Jerusalem, Just Like John." One of the girls said, "Let's get up and go downstairs, maybe he'll shut up." I politely turned my back, but could have saved the energy, for when I went downstairs, I knew that all of the girls had slept in their clothes, from the many wrinkles. "Well, I sung the cooks up; now I'll sing the preacher up." the father said. He sang all the way out to feed the pigs. The girls called, "Breakfast!" and we sat down to biscuits, sorghum molasses, fat-back pork warmed until it was just quivery, and black postum. (The father said drinking coffee was a sin.) I thought, "I like sorghum, so I'll eat some on a biscuit and wash it down with postum." I asked a hypocritical blessing on the food and picked up a biscuit. I tried to break it open, but my fingers slipped off. On the third try, the gummy interior finally strung out and it broke open, and inside was curled a long black hair. I said, "You'll have to excuse me. I didn't sleep well last night, and I don't feel well this morning." It was every word true! I went out behind the barn and lost even my dinner from the night before. I drove the 26 miles back home that night after church. When I told Elizabeth at the door about the bedbugs, she made me take off all my clothes on the front porch. I even had to leave my suitcase outside. Needless to say, I never went back to that house to eat or sleep again! Such are the fortunes of those who would serve the Lord in West Virginia in the earlier days. I found that conditions were worse near the Ohio River than in the mountain areas of the state. 38 ELKINS AND SHENANDOAH The Elkins Church had two major problems: (1) A small, sway-backed and poorly constructed church building, on a 40 x 100 foot lot, with no parking space, and (2) it was tied by tradition to a small rural church six miles away. This church gave very little financial support, yet required services twice a month. We began with the second problem. There was great demand for more rural churches in the area, so I began preaching in abandoned church buildings and school houses in the afternoon on Sundays. The next step was to employ a college student to provide more services in the rural areas, and to help with visitation. The need for a new building was almost unanimously recognized, so in 1948 we began to raise funds for it. Another problem was location. A new flood control project made south Elkins a more desirable place to build, and in 1950 we were able to buy two lots, 50 x 250 feet, at the corner of Eleventh Street and South Davis Avenue. We broke ground in late September, on the Sunday when we had the famous "blue sun" from great forest fires in the northwest. We moved into an incomplete building in September, 1951. Elizabeth and I were very tired and overworked. I had supervised the work on the new building, after doing most of the designing, with a few suggestions from the Board of Trustees. I spent ten hours a day on the job, starting with prayer each morning with the workmen. One day I was away, and didn't pray with them. That day the scaffold fell, and the bricklayers barely escaped injury. They were not devout men, but were superstitious enough to refuse to work after that until someone came and had prayer. Our lay leader, A. J. McQuain, filled in at this duty the day or two I had to be away after that. Bishop David T. Gregory dedicated the new building on May 4th, 1952. Indebtedness on the building was $25,000 and the total cost, not including hundreds of hours of donated labor, was $51,000 in 1952 dollars. Today that church building could not be duplicated for less than $300,000. The debt was financed by a loan from the Bank of West Union, W. Va. on a ten-year note, but was fully paid in seven years. (Troy wrote this in 1982. Now, ten years later that church building would cost a million to build.) In the meantime, a new charge had been created, made up of the new Wayside Church, completed in 1950, Coffman Chapel, Sully, and one or more schoolhouse appointments. Elkins Church became a station appointment. We were at Elkins for seven years, and in that time, the budget increased from $2880, in 1944-45, to $29,300 in 1951-52. On my last Sunday there, I asked about the sacrifices the people had made to make that kind of giving possible. Bro. McQuain, our lay leader, finally said, "That's just it, Preacher. We all gave more and we all had more!" In the seven years we were there, membership increased over 200. **************************** As early as 1950, some of the trustees of Shenandoah College and Conservatory of Music, located then at Dayton, Virginia, had approached me about accepting the presidency of that school. I was busy on the Elkins project, and gave it very little thought. When Bishop Gregory dedicated the new building. he asked that I meet with the trustees in late May, to discuss the matter further. As a result, after much agonizing prayer, I accepted the invitation to preside over what was considered by many to be a dying institution. My work there began on July 1, 1952. We had 95 students and were $97,000 in debt. 39 Shenandoah College Has New President Rev. Troy R. Brady has been named president of SHENANDOAH COLLEGE and Conservatory of Music, Dayton, Virginia. He comes to the presidency from the active ministry, having served at Elkins, W. Va., for the past seven years. During this time the church increased 56 percent in its membership, a new church building was dedicated this June and a new parsonage built. President Brady received his B.A. degree from OTTERBEIN COLLEGE, magna cum laude, and his M.A. degree from OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY. Mrs. Brady has specialized in Children’s Work and for the past six years has been minister of the Children’s Church at Elkins. She is a graduate of BONEBRAKE SEMINARY. They have two sons, Marion and Howard. President Brady is endeavoring to appeal to students of the area with these four statements: 1. A new emphasis upon the spiritual. 2. A new emphasis upon Christian education for life. 3. A new approach to college evangelism. 4. A new vitality in relationship to the church. In early May of that next year, we faced threatening suits, and possible bankruptcy. We needed $10,000 by Monday, and it was Friday! We called a prayer meeting at the president's home, and when Monday came, we had $13,000. God had provided in the emergency, but I went to bed that night with the conviction that our solution was only temporary. We were the smallest of four colleges in a six mile radius, and the only junior college. I lay in deep and earnest prayer until three a.m., when sleep finally came. I awakened promptly at seven o'clock, and the answer had come in my sleep! Out of a clear sky with no previous thought, the solution was there! Move the College to Winchester, Va., 67 miles northeast. It was the largest area in Virginia without a college. Nobody had ever thought of such a move until that early morning revelation to me. I called Senator Harry Byrd, Sr. in Washington, D. C. and got an appointment to see him the next day at 11:00 a. m. We prepared a brief brochure, and Elizabeth and I went to Washington. With the Senator's blessing, we went to Winchester, and after contacting our pastor there, the Rev. Carl Hiser, then went to see Harry Byrd, Jr. and one other business man. By five o'clock, we had a meeting with 12 other leaders of the town, and a liaison person was appointed to work with us and the Chamber of Commerce. To All Shenandoah friends . . . . SHENANDOAH'S NEW PRESIDENT 40 Shenandoah takes pride in presenting to you our new president, the Rev. Mr. Brady who was appointed at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees, on .June 10, 1952, upon the resignation of Dr. L. P. Hill. to the office of President of Shenandoah College and Shenandoah Conservatory of Music. Mr. Brady is a native of West Virginia and a member of West Virginia Conference of the Evangelical United Brethren Church. He comes to the presidency from the active ministry, having served as pastor in Elkins, West Virginia, for the past seven years. During his Elkins pastorate, a new church buildingand new parsonage were built. Membership in the church there increased 56% under Mr. Brady's leadership. Mr. Brady flax also served churches at Cairo, Union, and Freemansburg in the West Virginia Conference, and at Harrisburg, Ohio. He was ordained in 1934, at Charleston, West Virginia, by Bishop G. D. Batdorf, following his completion of work in the Diploma School at Bonebrake Theological Seminary, Dayton, Ohio. Otterbein College granted Mr. Brady the B. A. Degree in 1945, with Magna Cum Laude. In the same year, he received the M. A. Degree in Political Science from Ohio State University. The subject of his thesis was "The International Control of Freedom of Worship." The new President is a member of Pi Sigma Alpha, Omicron Chapter (national political science honorary fraternity). Mrs. Brady is the former Elizabeth Thrash, of Parkersburg, West Virginia. She has also completed work at Bonebrake Theological Seminary, attending with Mr. Brady. She has specialized in Children's Work in the local church, and has for six years been minister of the Children's Church at Elkins. The Bradys have two children, Marion, of Akron, Ohio, and Howard at home. A Message From The President: Dear Friend of Shenandoah: I hope that you are asking questions about the new president of your school! "What does he have to say?" "What are his purposes and policies?" Here are some of the answers: • "SOMETHING OLD" Shenandoah has honored traditions. Seventy-seven years of history could not help but produce them. I am determined that these traditions shall be respected. Shenandoah has good scholastic standards. Our Conservatory graduates are in demand. Our Junior College is accredited, and our graduates acceptable to other schools. The good must be made better here! 41 Shenandoah is a church-related college. Her most glorious achievements have been in the consciousness of this relationship. She must never become "a distant relative" of the church! Shenandoah has moral standards. Some of them are listed in the catalog. These, and others determined by the church and the trustees are binding upon the administration, the faculty, and the student body. We intend to stand by the rules! • "SOMETHING NEW" 1. A new emphasis upon the spiritual. A right relationship to God is imperative to successful living. We believe that right relationship can only be accomplished by an experiential, practical application of faith. 2. A new emphasis upon Christian education for life. A college graduate should be especially valuable as a layman in the local church. The stewardship of time, abilities and possessions is especially- important here. By utilizing present courses, or by introducing. new ones, Shenandoah is now committed to producing good churchmen. 3. A new approach to college evangelism. In this case, it will be new because it returns to the old. “Religious Emphasis Week” will be expanded to a full two week, evangelistic effort, with personal evangelism, counseling on spiritual problems, and campus-wide open meetings. Sane, competent and well-trained workers will be secured. 4. A new vitality: In her relationship to the Virginia Conference, to the local churches, in the financial problems, in educational advance in every proper field, we are committed to give new life and energy to Shenandoah. Our new purpose is to move out of convalenscence and in to health. 5. Some new slogans: "Shenandoah-mortal enemy of intellectual bigotry." "Shenandoah-where dependable faith and honest scholarship are inseparable." "Shenandoah-God's mountain-top in the valley." May everyone who knows our school soon be able to say "you can depend on Shenandoah!" Sincerely, TROY R. BRADY President There was a problem for Winchester. They had just completed a new hospital, and were involved in paying for it, but in February, 1955, a letter from the liaison man informed us that they were ready to consider our cause. They were having a banquet at the George Washington Hotel on March 17th, inviting the school representatives to entertain with musicians from the Conservatory, and I was to speak to the group, explaining what the school could offer the city, and what the city could do for the school. A vote at the close of the meeting was unanimous to support the move. The city would donate the new site for the campus, 45 acres, and raise $350,000 for the first building. After some bitter opposition from a few members of the Virginia Conference, that body finally voted on June 28, 1956, to relocate the College in Winchester. **************************** My personal health had deteriorated under the heavy load I was carrying, and Elizabeth, who had always felt that we should not be out of the pastorate, was urging me to resign. 42 Anticipating this, we followed an urge to find a place in the Shenandoah Valley in which to retire. I had a personal longing to find a place in Singers Glen. We asked the Rev. Wm. Wolfe, the pastor in that village, to help us find a place. The church there had, in buying adjoining houses and lots for expansion, acquired 3.15 Acres of land on the southeast side of the community, and a house that had to be moved so the church could have more parking. We bought the land for $2000 and the house, which had been the first schoolhouse in "The Glen," for $500. We had the house moved to the 3.15 acres for $900 and began a long labor of love in remodeling and upgrading the house, which was built in 1882. The house is now a very comfortable and attractive home, at current (1982) prices, worth at least $45,000. (Added: We sold it for $65,000 in 1989. We had sold four lots earlier from the original three plus acres. E.T.B.) I resigned as president, effective July 1, 1956, just four years to he day from the time I began my term. I was in the hospital during the regular session of Virginia Conference in early September. Forrest Racey, who had been business manager, was elected president in my place. He led in moving the college to the new location in 1960. **************************** In the meantime, Elizabeth had not been idle. She completed her junior college studies at Shenandoah, and I personally awarded her diploma in early June, 1953. After two years at Madison College (now James Madison University) she received her B. S. in Education, and for two years, 1955-57, taught the fourth grade at W. H. Keister School in Harrisonburg. Her income kept us until January 1st, 1957, when I started as supply pastor at Waynesboro, Va., after the Rev. Glovier retired with a heart attack. The church unanimously asked for my return, but the superintendent, angered because I had successfully led in the decision to relocate the college, refused to even consider it. He had wanted to close the school altogether. 43 FLORIDA AND SINGERS GLEN YEARS My home conference, West Virginia, had so many moves at the 1956 session that there were no openings in 1957. The Rev. R. L. Brill, who had helped in bringing me to Shenandoah and who had been my Field Agent for the School in 1952-53, was forced to 44 move to Florida for his health, wrote to me in early June, asking me to come to Bradenton, Florida as pastor. After a trip there, we decided that God wanted us there to lead in the building of a new house of worship. Elizabeth had a teaching position at Bradenton, so went early to attend pre-school meetings. In the meantime, my Dad's health was so poor that my stepmother could not care for him alone. The only solution was to take them both to Florida with me. We arrived there on August 23rd, 1957. At our first service there, we had only 57 people present. My Dad was more and more dissatisfied, complaining that even "The trees don't look like trees!" (Palms and long needled pines) In less than four months he was so homesick for W. Va. that I took them home, leaving December 13th. Quite a heartache for me! I left them at Lois' in Coalton until I could get the house opened and warmed up. From that time I paid the neighbor living next door to take care of the coal furnace for them. On the third Sunday night I preached at Bradenton, our Sunday School Superintendent, Eugene Clouse, came forward and was truly converted. We made other spiritual progress there, but had little encouragement to build a new house of worship, in spite of no parking room, and a building practically destroyed by termites. A barely 55% favored the project. However, by 1962, sentiment had grown, and so had the crowds. We found five acres, three miles southwest, at Cortez Road and 51st Street, West. In 1964 we completed a fellowship hall and six separate classrooms, sold the old location to the City of Bradenton for $40,000, and moved to our new building. Our highest attendance in the new location was 636. I was pastor there for almost 11 years, my longest, and we lived all these years at 1505 29th Street West. (The "almost" was caused by the change in the conference year, due to the union of our denomination with the Methodist Church.) The original E.U.B Church in Bradenton NINTH AVENUE AT FIFTEENTH STREET (Mailing Address: 908 - 14th St. Court, W.) PHONE 6-1650 45 (The article above appeared in the St. Petersburg Times on February 22, 1965. CHURCH BUILDING DEDICATED – The Emmanuel Evangelical United Brethren Church in Bradenton dedicated its new building in special services yesterday afternoon. Above is a view toward the sanctuary of the church. The service was held in what will be the fellowship hall. Long range plans call for construction of a completely new building on the same property. At left is an outside view of the new church which is at 5115 Cortez Road. Staff Photos by Dan Millott 46 Elizabeth taught those eleven years, ten of them at the new Orange Ridge School. The pastor who followed me led in dividing the church and building an independent congregation. He later failed morally and left the state. It took Bradenton Emmanuel Church a full ten years to recover from his defection, in both attendance and finances. I overlooked one important event in those years. I was planning to celebrate my 25th year of ordination on September 6th, 1959. On the First of the month my brother Bland called me to say that Dad had died. He was in his 79th year. I had my first commercial air flight back to W. Va. for his funeral. **************************** In 1968, the year the E. U. B. Church united with the Methodists, I asked for and received a smaller assignment. The visitation load was too much for my advancing years. I was sent to St. Andrews Church, Winter Park for my last three years before retirement. While there, we led in the construction of four new classrooms for our growing Sunday School. When me moved there, there were only eight houses in sight of the church. The first year we were there, 550 new apartments were built across the street from us. We had a happy and successful ministry at Winter Park. **************************** I had been Director of Evangelism for the Florida Conference, EUB, and was made Recording Secretary of the Board of Evangelism of the united conferences in 1968. Other conference positions I held were Director of Stewardship, Conference Trustee, Director of Youth Work for the West Virginia Conference five years, a trustee of the conference camp, EvUnBreth Acres, and helped to purchase the site and plan the layout of the grounds. Since it was former EUB, the former Methodists determined to sell it. This was done in 1982. Florida Conference granted me three months sabbatical leave (until my 65th birthday) and retirement as of September 30th, 1971, on May 30th we left our Florida Home on Loch I.omond Drive and drove to our home we had purchased in Singers Glen, Virginia, 15 years before. In the 11 years we have been retired, we have made many more improvements on it. We didn't linger long at Singers Glen, for we had planned for years to go on a retirement trip to the west and northwest. We left on July 3rd, drove 13,000 miles in about 32 states, rode about 1000 miles on ferries and steamers, slept, ate and lived in our Volkswagen camper, saw wonderful scenery, and in all spent less that $1000. **************************** For the next two years, I held several evangelistic meetings, mowed my lawn, raised a large garden, loafed and traveled. Then in 1973, the District Superintendent asked me to take the Mountain Valley Church, about 15 miles from our home, as a retired supply. I accepted for I love to preach God's Word! I was to preach on Sunday mornings only, and visit the sick for $2800 per year. I just couldn't limit myself in that way! I held prayer and Bible study each Wednesday, and visited every home in the community. When the congregation asked me to return for the second year, I replied that I would if they would build a parsonage so that they could ask for a resident pastor. They had student supply preachers for 25 years. They then agreed to begin to build after they had raised $20,000. This they did in less than a year. They built and paid for an 8-room brick parsonage within two years. Their average attendance is now more than triple that first 47 Sunday I preached there, with attendance as high as 223. Their budget is now more than $23,000 per year. It was during our pastorate there that we were able to realize a dream of over seven years. We went to the Near East, visiting eight countries. They included Greece, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Italy and Switzerland. We were gone more than three weeks, at a cost of over $3000. We traveled with a group of 28 Mennonites, 4 Baptists, with ourselves being the only United Methodists. To me, our experience at Gordon's Calvary and the adjoining tomb were worth the whole trip! We flew by '747' Jetliner from New York to Athens, Greece. **************************** Since both of our sons live on the east coast of Florida, one at Cocoa and the other at Melbourne, and I have no regular work in the pastorate, we have been spending five months each winter in Florida since 1976. Our son, Marion and his wife, Joy, owns two duplexes, and we rent one of his apartments. We have completely furnished and reconditioned this part-time home in the meantime. We usually are there from about November first to March 31st.In November, 1981, I suffered severe angina pains. An angiogram revealed severe blockage of coronary arteries. On Dec. 18th, I received three bypass artery replacements. I recovered remarkably, thanks to clean living and literally hundreds of people praying for me. I recently did a survey of my ministry of and found that almost 4500 people had come forward to receive Christ, or to renew their dedication to him, under my preaching. For this I give God all the glory and rejoice in their salvation! I have been pastor of 29 churches in four different conferences and a college president for four years. If the Lord had not found me that night in March 1930 I might be dead, or at least a jailbird by this time. Praise the Lord! We have purchased two gravesites in Singers Glen, Virginia, cemetery and it is my wish to be buried there, so that if any relatives or friends visit the site they will be able to see to the southeast, the mountains I have always loved. **************************** And so, I bring to an end my memoirs, with some historical and traditional background. I have made few confessions to my many failures and sins, all forgiven by God's grace! My great desire here is to preach the unsearchable riches of the Good News of Christ as many times as possible before the Lord calls me home. Our plans for the future are simple. If we keep our health we will continue to live as we have in the last five years. If we should not be able to care for our place in Virginia we plan to move to our apartment in Florida and finish out our days there. God's grace is sufficient for me! **************************** P. S. Since my husband wrote his memoirs in 1982 our plans for our latter years have changed. Instead of spending our last days at Singers Glen, or in one of Marion and Joy's apartments, we built a home on the lot in Sharpes, Florida, which we had purchased in 1975. When it become apparent a few years later that we should live nearer our family we sold our home in Virginia and in August of 1989 moved permanently to Florida. We 48 turned the cemetery lots back to the trustees with the request that they be sold and the money given to the United Methodist Church in Singers Glen. (E. T B.) Winter Park, Florida Rev. Troy R. Brady and wife on the Porch of the new parsonage, 1950. 49 50 The above letter, written to Florida’s Governor Leroy Collins, in March, 22, 1960, is concerning the issues of racism taking place during those trying times. The letter reads: Dear Governor Collins, May I express my personal commendation of your stand on the moral issue involved in the present crisis concerning segregation in department store lunch counters. While we may not agree on all the issues involved, I believe that you have evidenced your ability to think clearly in this specific statement. If the proprietors of such businesses decide to close down the lunch counters, it will but further prove your point that their only interest is in profits, and that they do not care at all about any of the principles involved. As soon as we have time to consider it, a further statement of commendation will be forthcoming from our entire congregation. You are in a difficult position, and in such you are conducting yourself in a very commendable manner. May our Lord continue to give you wisdom and courage. 51 52 53 Bradys Return To Elkins for Revival REV.. AND MRS. TROY BRADY The Rev. and Mrs. Troy Brady of Singers Glen, Va., will return to Elkins on Saturday to begin an eight-day revival at Wayside United Methodist Church. The Rev. Brady will deliver his first sermon al the 11 a.m. worship service Sunday. He will be the guest speaker each evening through Saturday. Oct. 2, at 7 :30 pm. and will conclude on Sunday, Oct. 24, with the morning worship service. The Brady's spent many years in Elkins. Under their ministry, the Otterbein Church was built as well as the parsonage located next to the church. It was also under their ministry that the first phase of the Wayside Church was built. After leaving Elkins, the Rev. Brady served as president of Shenandoah College in Virginia. From there they moved to Bradenton. Fla.. where he pastored a church before retiring in Singers Glen. The Rev. Charles Daniels, pastor of the Elkins Circuit East consisting of Wayside, Job and Whitmer churches, invites everyone to attend the services and to get re acquainted with the Brady's. Special singing events are planned and will be announced during the week of the services. All singers and church choirs are welcome. 54 Poems and Music MY RICH MOUNTAIN HOME When it's autumn time in old Rich Mountain And the summer leaves begin to fall, With every gentle breeze Softly falling from the trees, With their voices low and sweet I hear them call. Sweet and low their gentle voices calling, Pleading that I never more shall roam, And before the autumn leaves All are fallen from the trees, I'll be going back to my old cabin home. I'm sure there must be mountains up in heaven, In that land where we will all be free from care. With a cabin for my home I would never care to roam. Twould be heaven for me with my mother there. Sweet and low I hear the mountains calling, Pleading that I never more shall roam, When I see those rugged hills Then my heart with rapture thrills, For I know I soon shall see my dear old home. When its twilight time in old Rich Mountain And the shades of night fall 'round the cabin door, I can see my mother's face, Standing by the window place, Calling to us as she did in days of yore. Sweet and low her gentle voice is calling, Pleading that I never more shall roam. Mother I can hear your call, And I'm homesick for you all So I'm coming back to my old cabin home. But there came a parting time in old Rich Mountain And the shades of death upon my mother fell. But I still can see her there, Just within the portals fair, Calling to the dear ones here she loved so well. 55 Sweet and low her gentle voice is calling, Pleading that we never more shall roam. O'er and o'er the words repeat, "Won't you kneel at Jesus' feet? He'll forgive your sins and bring you safely home." There'll be other parting times in old Rich Mountain, For the shades of death on all of us must fall. I can hear another voice Saying, "Will you make the choice?" 'Tis the Saviour, Will you heed his gentle call? Sweet and low his gentle voice is calling, Pleading that I never more shall roam. I can hear his voice of love Calling to me from above And a broken-hearted boy is coming home. (1933) EMMANUEL As the lowly-shepherds watched their flocks by night In the darkness never dreaming of the light, Suddenly the brightness of the Lord came down! Angels sang of peace, and glory shone around. Glory! Glory! Christ Emmanuel! God is with us, all is well! In an upper chamber, blinded by their fear, In the darkness never dreaming God was near, Suddenly upon them came their soul's desire, Burning through the dark with flaming tongues of fire! Glory! Glory! Christ Emmanuel! God is with us, all is well! In this age of sorrow, blinded by our tears, In the darkness never dreaming Christ draws near! Suddenly the heavens burst with blinding light! At His glorious coming he shall end all night! Glory! Glory! Christ Emmanuel! God is with us, all is well! (Christmas, 1943) 56 IF I WERE GOD If I were God I know I'd be too free! I'd want to cherish all the things I seeI'd fondle planets like a child at play, And run my fingers through the milky way, And stars and suns would suffer at my touchIf I were God I know I'd move too much. If I were God I know I'd be too strong! I'd want to hurry every world along, And crush a few together for a testMake great experiments with all the rest. I'm much too curious about the end; If I were God, the world would need a friend! If I were God I know I'd be too wise! I couldn't stand the hurt in human eyes. I'd take down all the barriers, right the wrongs, And make the path so easy for the throngs That men would grow up soft, and easy prey To evil. It's much better done his way! EUCHARIST For I could wish my hands were scarred My face would shine with holy light; --Not that for fame would I be marred, Or for myself be glorified-But that to you I might reveal 'Tis Christ, who for you all hath died, Invites you to this holy meal, Who stands before you now as then And bids you eat and drink by me. Oh, could I suffer so that when I break this bread you all shall see My Saviour's face! 57 "QUEST FOR GOD?" Why do they call it a quest, This vivid consciousness This white-hot flame? Why do they call it a quest? Do they go seeking in the black As a lost child gropes the forest track And vainly call his name? While I bow down and hate myself For lust of flesh and love of self And weep with heart exposed! (O shame! to know "The Way," To walk in light of truth's full day And despise such light disclosed!) Why do they call it a quest, This vivid consciousness Of peace so sweet. For me it is no quest; Not sought, but found, his glorious face I drink its light - devour its grace As a hungry man eats meat! These are wiser far than I, Why are they so blind of eye? Why do they call it a quest? Haven't they found rest? ADOBE I saw a worker build a wall today, Unfriendly, bare, and lifted up. And of the selfsame clay I saw another make a cup Three fingers high To slake the thirst of every passer-by. 58 METAMORPHOSIS Once, long ago, I was a child. I lived on pure things: Bread White and fine, Dipped in red The red of new wine Sweet and mild. But I had always a desire It burned like fire! And flamed each hour afresh. I wanted meat Some solid thing to eat. My soul would live on flesh! So I forgot the pure, And sunk my talons strong and sure Into the flesh of THINGS. Gorged my soul and gave it wings! I lived where eagles lived, ate eagle's fare. But all at once the air Was putrid with the stench of death! I reeked with carrion, and my breath Was as a new tomb opened wide. And something died Within me! O God! How? Once I was a child, but now Now I am a vulture! - The progress of spiritual decay from the Communion table to companionship with maggots. 59 THE CHILDREN PLAYED The children played with toys; Sticks, and clubs, and stones, Little girls and boys Of cave men. Then anger came And fighting; bruised heads and broken bones And children bloody, screaming, lame! Their fathers came correcting, Chastising every child, Uncivilized and wild, But still in love directing. The children played With complicated toys These modem girls and boys And in their playing, strayed; Misused machines of evil dread; In anger turned the atom into fear, And in a modern year Left one another bleeding, bruised and dead. Their Father from above Also chastised These highly civilized Children, broken-hearted in His love. (1950) THANKS GIVING Our blessed Savior bowed his head To thank God for five loaves of bread And when they shared the bread he blessed, There was enough for all the rest -and even more! Teach us, 0 Lord, in this good land Of bounty from thine own great hand That only as we bless and share Will there be bread enough to spare -and even more!" - Amen - (1950) 60 TRUE RICHES That is not treasure which is hoarded as a miser grasps his gold; But only that which, like the widow's cruse of old, Increases as 'tis given and poured forth to meet the need Of a hungry heart, and emptied, fills indeed. (Of the lines that I have written the above are my favorite ones. I strive to make them my true philosophy of life.) CONSECRATION My hands and my feet shall sing praises to God, My pick and my plow, as I turn the deep sod! My lips, and my heart, every pan of my frame, With all I possess, shall exalt his dear name! LOOK UP! Christ wore the curse of sorrow to the grace Leaving it there, full dead, within the cave; Casting it off, like grave-clothes when he came Triumphant forth to meet the light again. Dead souls may haunt His burial place, But living ones look UP to see His face. And so I lay my SORROW 'neath the sod; But HOPE and JOY look upward, unto God. - Published in "Religious Telescope" 1942 61 How strongly we are tempted to take the easy way! How simple it is to proclaim the "Fatherhood of God" and ignore the words of the "Son of God" himself! Jesus' every word and parable, indeed his very coming to earth in itself, is for the purpose of saving man from the family of Satan and bring him into the Father's household. WHO ARE GOD'S SONS? Who are the sons of God? Are all men such? Does every rebel dare To claim so much? What is the filthy clod Without his touch? Who are the sons of God His armies tramp 'Gainst sons of Satan, led By hell's red lamp. They march on bloody sod To take that camp! Who are the sons of God? These men of lust W'ho drag divine creation In the dust? Have they been born again? Christ said, "Ye must!" Who are the sons of God? Let Jesus say! 'Twas not the multitude He taught to pray "Our Father --;" but disciples Of "The Way." (1943) These lines came to me after a speaker in college chapel service, by his rash declaration that, "Jesus came into the world to prove that all men are the children of God," had led a fine young football player to refuse Christ as his Saviour, saying, "I am a child of God as well as you. I don't need your salvation!" 62 ORCHESTRA The skies shall sing and play to me Tonight, a glorious symphony. The stars shall be the timbrel bells And clouds resound the organ swells. The rolling thunder-drums shall beat To time the rain's swift, marching feet (Like thoughts across a fevered brain That march, and wheel, and march again.) Roaring winds and lightning flashes Flames of sound, like cymbal crashes! Chinese cymbals, hammered brass Tinkling cymbals, made of glass. Now the forte of storm is past; Comes the velvet calm at last. Nightingale, upon a limb, Sings a dulcet nocturne hymn. Moonlight beams on rippling streams Shepherd's pipes to play my dreams. Tiny flute, and clarinet, Trumpet clear, and castanet. Whispering breeze, and night-bird's call Upon the silent shadows fall. My heart joins in the blessed strain Of the earth's age-old refrain, And all of nature's voices raise In the anthem to God's praise. Now quiet rest joins in the theme And peacefulness fulfils my dream. Soft comes the sweet "Amen" of sleep, And makes my symphony complete. -(1939) Published in "Quiz and Quill," Otterbein College, December, 1942. First prize, Burkhart Poetry Contest 63 THE THREE MARYS We three to the garden went Early in the morning. We three to the garden went With dawn the skies adorning. Myrrh and aloes took we there To anoint his body fair. We three in the garden were -Early in the morning. We three in the garden were Early in the morning. But our Master was not there So early in the morning. An angel came at break of day And he rolled the stone away Peace to you, he then did say Early in the morning. We three from the garden came Early in the morning But our hearts were not the same, Great joy in place of mourning. Angels on their harps now play "Christ the Lord is risen," they say. Joy in earth and heaven today This glad Easter morning. (Easter, 1935) 64 THE TRAGEDY OF DREAMING Why do I not laugh? Why am I not exultant - all afire? Here is the flesh and blood, The warm breath of my full desire! And yet I stand - unmoved - As though I were unloved. How can I stem the flood Of ecstasy rampant within? Such indifference is sin! Long ago This dream did come alive, And ecstasy did thrive Within me! I put forth my hand and touched - fondled - reveled'. Now the flame is gone - you understand? The hills of fire are leveled Nor left a single height No gleam to pierce the night Within me. Love is old Not living now - but cold. Alas! I DREAM! Why do I not weep? My love is not asleep She is dead! Hard-hearted fool' My tears should form a pool, An overwhelming flood To mingle with her blood, To purge my mind! Besides that - tears would blind. The walls were stone And there I stood, alone! Sobbing, screaming in the night, Too frightened yet for flight! For I have watched her die Too many times! Now I Can only stand, and seem Hard-hearted. You see - I DREAM. Why am I not ill? Why do not my nostrils quake With violent nausea at this lake Of blood? From afar I heard the guns of war. And now I see, and feel, 65 I know it's real! Against my will I breathe its fetid breath, Yet I do not retch up The very odor of this carnal cup! Why am I not ill to death? In time of peace I saw This crimson maw This filthy death - this reeking cairn This stew of entrails, seasoned well With shrapnel from the pepper-pot of hell! A thousand times I sickened on this mess Within my inner consciousness. My heart drew pictures far too real Anticipating. Now, I cannot feel! For dreamers, there is nothing new. Alas! I dream - DO YOU? (1945) (The curse of imagination is its power to steal the emotion from all new experiences. It leaves all adventure flat with the stale taste of deja va.) 66 RAIN WITCHES Oft when the comfort of the rain has ceased Upon the hills but for a little while, From out the leafy aisle And rock-rimmed glen arise Mist forms, from mystic depths released, lift metaplasmic fingers to the skies. Weird father has the storm become to these Rain-witches, borne elusive from the trees; As some generative finger, reaching low To touch the mother earth, had caused to grow These frail ghost-children, forth to spring afresh From every spot the lightning touched her flesh. The magic of your finger tips is such That strange wish-children rise at every touch. But when I would enfold them to my heart, They drift apart. (1944) My mother named them "rain witches," these wavering wisps of vapor which climb the invisible stairs of barometric pressure in the forests of Monongahela. "When you see them," she said, "it will always rain again before the storm is over." I have never known her observation to fail. Older weather prophets rhymed: "Fog on the hills, Water for the mills." 67 THE NECESSITY OF POETRY Whatever man sees of beauty that overwhelms the eye, Or what he feels of ecstasy That fills too full his soul, And all he knows of duty Which drives him on to die; When man has dreams of fantasy, Or reaches high for a goal, He must speak in rhyme and beauty of word And of phrase and rhythm, or he cannot be heard. When a man looks deep in a woman's eyes Or a sleeping baby's face, When the strength of love lifts far above The evil, the flesh and the clod, When he lifts his eyes to the mystic skies And ponders on time and space, And by fancy deep in infinity roves To humbly rub shoulders with God, He must lift up his voice in the rhyming art, For only a poet can speak for the heart. (1956) 68 WISHING BRIDE (To Betty) I shall not leave you lonely But in the night I shall be near When you sit alone with cares and fear. Hands shall reach across the night - Too firm for unreality, yet too light To be real flesh - shall touch your finger-tips, Turn again the golden band Upon your finger - lift your hand And draw it to my lips. I shall not leave you lonely But in the bright new courage of the dawn My arms shall find you - half unwilling, half asleep And caress you wide awake to morning's light. Together we shall find the end of night. You shall be drawn By phantom arms more real, by love more deep Than ever living flesh be giving Or human heart express, and go on living. I shall not leave you lonely But in the day's full power Firm lips shall press upon your yielding ones. And on a dream-road wildly beautiful, alone, We shall stop, and for an hour The world shall cease to be, and only Your eyes shall be real - two living pools, Dew-dim with tears - within whose depths, o'erfull, I plunge, and try in vain to drown my love. The true lover is never so far from his beloved but he can return in moments of powerful thought and be almost real. Almost? Yes, even more than real! There really is such a thing as teleportation! 69 CRIMSON MIRROR I went into the woods again today To let their quiet drive my cares away. I saw the sunrise - like a crimson flood, Reminder of grim Eastern fields of blood. A dove's low moaning in a red-bud tree The cry of wounded men became to me. And what I thought were bluebirds in the sky Were really bombers passing, flying high. At evening time the sky again was red A mute dispatch to tell of Western dead. O God of merry! Can the sunlight fall On red-stained German fields, and cast a pall Of crimson on a dawn so far away? Does that same sun reflect, at close of day Upon Pacific waters red with gore And write upon our sunset, "Nevermore"? Such angle of reflection could not be As mirrored that mirage of death to me; But laws of light and physics fall apart When shining through a broken human heart. I went into the woods again today I wish I'd stayed away. (1945) (This and the next four poems are out of the tragic years of World War II.) 70 BREATH OF DESTINY What wind of mischief! What malicious gale Now rends with talon'd feet this tranquil vale Where beauty reigned, and yearning hovered o'er? What souls are those caught in its hungry roar Dragged helplessly by mad, cyclonic breath, Together driven into its cavernous death? The livid lightning of its living eyes Illuminates the ragged, rending rise Of vortex to the angry clouds above, Reveals the barren earth devoid of love. Yet in its fire that barreness is warm, And gathers insane glory from the storm! No masters, we! The storm controls our fate Once caught within its charms, 'tis far too late To miss its destiny! So yield thy rebel flesh And know the mad adventure all afresh. And do not tremble as a child in fricht 'Tis simple yielding brings the sweet delight! (Faced with nuclear destruction, today's youth often resort to this crisis philosophy: "Live each day to the full - there may be no tomorrow." This attempts to explain them. Perhaps some may feel it even defends them.) 71 THREE VOICES CRY High is the cry of the warriors Strong and high! But it comes o'er the noise of battle Faint as a sigh. Like the cry of little children About to die. Low is the cry of the wounded Softly they moan. Lending to war's dread music A minor tone; And the human heart can hear it By love alone. Loud is the cry of the dead ones Prone on the sod. Out of the maddening silence Still hearts, o'ertrod, Cry for the end of all battles. One hears - even God! (1944) I wish I could set these words to funeral music and have them chanted in low tone to all the leaders of the nations, unceasingly. 72 MISERERE FINI One whose lips seemed moved by rare delight, As though her dwelling were the verge of bright New visions; told of wandering in a dream Of transient beauty by an unquiet stream To hear an oriole sing. In simple words almost akin to sighing She said: "He wasn't singing, he was crying." Then like a hot, barbed arrow came the thought: Can it be this sombre mood has caught In every living thing? Are even singing birds, then, ill at ease? Does human sorrow rise, engulf the trees As some dread force invisible, to clasp The whole of nature in its sickening grasp of melancholy blight? " phe whole creation groaneth as in pain -" My dirge began. With radiant joy again The maiden spoke. Me oriole soared above The shadow of the mom, and found his love Within the higher light." (1944) 73 AUTUMN REVISITED I had forgotten Cathedral silences of forest halls at mom, And smell of fallen leaves in autumn rain; The jewelled glory of a frosty moonlit night; The hard blue brilliance of October days, And the ways Of cackling tours of southbound birds in flight; Pathetic wings of butterflies late- born All vainly hailing summer back again. I had forgotten these And many other poignant memories That now come rushing back at every brown Leaf that drifts on autumn's fitful breeze. But now I have them here all written down, I'll not again forget, tho' ne'er again Will I behold my hills at this blest time Of year. I cannot capture in one rhyme Forest odors, frost, and sun and rain. No, I will not forget For I have had a promise from my Lord That Paradise shall come - He gave his word, And I shall enter heaven even yet! For what is heaven but the having, at long last, Of all the perfect things from out the past? I had forgotten, yes. But after all life's pain Is over, I shall have them back again. --- And love, if this is true, Shall I not also have you, too? (October, 1959) 74 MORNING WATCH Morning! Sunlight pours! Blinding crashes burst the doors Of night. Swords of light Put the black-robed shades to flight. Wild voices Of the spaces Chant the victory song of light. Trees lift limbs in worship far and near. Hills and valleys clap their hands and cheer, And morning-glory trumpets sound so clear I have to put my finger in my ear. Even the soft south wind Storms my heart like a cavalry charge: How can I worship in this din Of nature's shouting in a sanctuary so large? Please forgive me, Lord, If I confuse thy written and thy new-created word Haven't you heard? It is morning! 75 A MAP IS A THING OF MAGIC Across the vale Outside my window to the west arises A mountain wall Sinister against the sunset, tall And part of all That time and space so cruelly comprises For my heart a jail. And I recall That eastward from your window, too, Is lifted high A mountain by a lake, in crimson hue From sunset sky. I am reminded - hills imprison you! Your soul, too, has a wall. Then, like a part Of some weird conjure, there is lying Within my hand A map - a thing of magic - and I span The intervening reaches. All the land Between us melts, and miles decrying I hold you to my heart! (To Betty) - (October, 1955) (Written while I was at Shenandoah and too busy to take vacation trips. Not wishing to deprive my wife I insisted that she take the western trip with her sister, Elma, and her niece Annis, which she was invited to take.) 76 RELATIVITY I waited alone in the darkness, And my yearning was like pain! I longed for you in the darkness, But my longing was in vain! Though I could hear our breathing, You were never so far away, And the long, long night was lonely, And I wept, and prayed for the day. The few short steps between us Were wide as the gulf of space! And I learned that doors that are open, Not closed ones, prison a place! But tonight there are miles between us Yet I hold you close to my heart, And I know now that often you're nearest, When we are farthest apart. So I doubt the nature of distance When it keeps me from your charms. For when you are near, you're far away - Except when you're in my arms. I think I have learned a secret Not opened by science or art. The hands reach out as the arms are long, But a heart reaches out to a heart! (For Betty) 1956 (Written when Betty was on a Canadian trip with her sister, Elma Bornstein.) 77 CONQUEROR OF THE YEARS I found a chimney-stone among the grasses And reverently turned it over with my hands, And - quick as thought - the fleeting present passes For scenes more real! The past before me stands! A house is there, with every chink and cranny And mark of axe, and weatherbeaten stain. But reason, cruel-hearted, wise uncanny, Cries out, "These things shall never be again." I feel a breeze with tang of wood-smoke laden; Incense divine! So rare it has no name And see once more my firelit forest haven Where green-cut oak lies seething in the flame; Hold out my hands and watch the smoke uprising While fire-born wild flame-dancers leap and start; Hold out my soul, to thaw within their blazing The frozen memory-chambers of my heart. I hear a voice familiar to my teardrops, But laughter makes a rainbow of my tears, For fancy loans its magic to the moment And cancels all the intervening years. To make untrue the charge that childhood's laughter Must wait to ring again in courts above. What has been, and shall be hereafter Is now, by every law of yearning love. (1944) (Only those whose childhood home was a log cabin in the Appalachians will catch all the nostalgia of these homesick lines. Nothing assails the sense of smell so strongly with memories as smoke from a green oak fire!) 78 ACCUSER VS. ADVOCATE ("And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto death." - Rev. 12:11) To cause to faint the weakest saint The demons all engage, To stem the flood of Jesus' blood All hell is in a rage! See Satan stand at God's left handAccuser of us all! Opponent of the Son, whose love Redeemed us from the fall. "Your sins," he cries. The Blood replies, "There is no sin." He screams, "The past!" and to the last The blood, above his din, Speaks out alone there at the throne, "There is no past." 'Til Satan, prone, must leave alone, And we are free at last! (8-3-1961) HISTORY Men, money, politics, God Almighty dollar, sacred sod, Die for your country, feed the poor, Love one another, blood on the floor. Men, money, politics, - No! How can that other word be so? Cut out the heart of this civilized clod All you have left is "Men" and "God." (There is no illness quite like the nausea created by demagogues.) 79 SEDITION My soul cries out! Things are not good enough! I am not satisfied with democracy The democracy of nineteen hundred Forty-five Woe to you who sit Complacent - who Wildly acclaim the status quo Woe! Because you hold no honor, No high exalting of justice, No dream of a more excellent way, Higher! Have you let vision fade In blind indolence? Do you see no violation in this day This day when men Become as dust, The dust of atoms? My soul cries out! I am not just sounding brass, I know a better tune. Its grandeur is the march of ages. I am not satisfied With democracy! I have seen a Kingdom. I have seen peace, plenty, purity! I have seen God! (1945) (In this year many looked to the United Nations as the very "Kingdom of God." This idol, too has feet of clay!) 80 THE THREE REBELS See, in the waning light! There - there dwells humanity. Scarce a third of the way to the height! Content in mediocrity. High are the legal walls Of their cultural halls, And of gates well-guarded - three. Rebel the First Solemn and sure the clan's decree: "None shall go back into that vale Whence all of us have come." Thus Virtue declared beyond the pale The black enigma of this blacker sea. But there was one Who looked with curious eyes upon its edge; And from the curious turned to keen desire, Catching the lure that drifted to the ledge Where dwelt the tribe in restless decency. Feeling within the burning of a fire, With lowered eyes the beast that lay within Plotted and planned - began to rebel, Clamored for freedom - raised such noisy din That to remain would be a greater hell. And so she scaled the wall; And gossips mouthed the morsel of her fall. Days hence, the story goes, upon the sand There washed the fragment of a human hand With such a stench upon it, so they say, As spoke of more than ordinary decay. Rebel the Second About the village wall, to left and right A forest grew - a place of strange delight! Where pleasures were legitimate and high; For it was growing at the self-same height Upon which all mankind shall live and die. But in its leafy aisles dwelt other men Who lived not like the dwellers in the walls But stood within the forest, made low calls To those whose lives were prisoned in The more monotonous walls of legal sin. Men called to maids. Both were exceeding fair. Yet there was not the same full shade of skin, Nor yet a similar texture to the hair. Strong guards stood at the forest gates and barred The way with signs that read, "Tabu.' 81 But one bright maid within whose heart there warred A rebel love, with strong defiance eyed The sign which told her what she dared not do, Climbed with agile hands the foolish wall; Answered with eyes aglow, her lover's call. The woman that was in her found a mate, So cheerfully she faced an outcast's fate. Too soon there came to dwell outside the town A couple in whose unequal yoke no word Was spoken. Hate passed between them like a sword, To pierce the very soul, and shatter down Their love for that which love had given - a third So like them both - and yet so unlike each That fellowship was stolen from their reach. Rebel the Third In close-walled streets men whispered of the trail which led to higher levels--pierced the veil That lay above their prison; challenged all who dared the only gate within the wall which had no guard, but stood with doors unbarred (Except by that poor envy of low minds who in their misery have forever warred Against the souls which glorious courage find To leave their prison in the world's half night And climb the crags upon a path of light.) But there is one whose heart within her sings That God has come to dwell within her breast! And in rebel stirrings of divine unrest Held back by doubt - half-anxious questionings, She breaks the gasp of ordinary things And gives herself to climb, with feet like wings Upon a path of dreams. By faith made fleet She treads in ecstasy the very clouds of air As dust beneath her feet. Those she left below her in the place where dwell self-blinded men in groping night, Gaze wistfully upon her face Glowing through the mist with heavenly light. **************** Three human hearts with rebel spirits burned. Two returned! (1945) (Rebel minds are common in college; rebel acts less so. Here is the allegory of three I knew who defied convention.) 82 STRANGE GIFT There's a gift the Father gave us Beyond the power that others share In this strange and vivid nearness We keep with us everywhere. Gifts that makes the miles between us Just as the' they were not there! Blessed gift that lets me hold you When you're burdened down with care. And my arms in love enfold you, When you have no help elsewhere. So I share in your distresses, And you have a comfort sure From this wondrous gift that blesses. I can help you to endure. So, with all the deep devotion That a husband ever gave I will come in each commotion, As your lover, friend and slave. All I ask you in return, dear, When my road of life is long, And my sky is dark with storm clouds, And its hard to find a song-Then, please use the gift God gave you! Come and hold me to your heart! Then my joy will know no ending, And my heartache will depart. So our gift will be a blessing, And a solace for each day Through the comfort of caressing, Till God gives a better way. In the meantime when a moment Comes when we two are alone, Shall our arms not find each other, And our two hearts beat as one? Shall our lips meet without fear, love? Shall we say "Yes" to our heart? We should have, when we are close, love, What is ours when we're apart. February 1975 83 THE HORRIBLE PIT I crept to the edge of passion's brim, And gazed below as the fearful din Of souls all twisted and torn with sin-All seared by a flaming hell within, -tortured and screaming. I saw the dragon there, within his den, And watched him feed on the souls of men, Devouring--and spewing them out again. Disgorging them--putrid with filthy stain, -his lurid eye gleaming. I saw a youth and a maiden fair, With frozen and fascinated stare Trapped with the beast in his filthy lair, Enwrapt in his coils and beyond all care, -for virtue's gladness. A miser was there, all shrunken and old, With a skin like the master to whom he was sold; Distended with gorging on silver and gold 'Til his clanking, metal-fed body grows cold, -in his grasping madness. And there is the wandering, pleasure-mad throng Like fire-driven demons they hurry along, With shouting and stomping, sorrow and song, They vainly endeavor to silence the gong -of death resounding. The dreary and drunken disciple of greed Is plunging along on a fire-breathing steed. The chimera of lust is demanding his feed! Then hurry, fool, hurry! 'is no time to heed -The death-drums pounding. And lo! as I shudder and gaze in the pit, It seems--am I dreaming? -to brighten a bit, And then, with quick splendor and beauty all lit, A miracle gleams in the midst of it-a presence glorious! He crushed the beast beneath his heel, And the filth is consumed by his flaming zeal And jubilant victims in rapture all kneel, Full well in his radiant power to heal, -by Light victorious! 84 February 1975) ROOMS In that room I shall be sedate, And you shall a lady be. Even the cat Walks like a queen in state. In a room like that We can't be free! Here it is warmer and sunny. You shall converse with me-And we shall laugh and play, And be amused and funny. In this room, you see, It has a friendly way. In there?! No! We must not go! We do not dare, And you are so unfair, To pull my hand and to entice me so! The pink! The perfume! Intimate walls! To crush our wills. There--man falls. PRE-HISTORIC MONSTER Little North Mountain, rocky and steep, Like a giant earth dragon, lying asleep; Nose in the river at rough Brocks Gap, Never to awaken from his age-long nap. 8-26-1981 85 Early In The Morning 86 Emmanuel 87 Back Home In West Virginia 88 89 For Ev-Un-Breth Acres 90 TROY'S DIARY (Jan. 28, 1992) In going through a large box of memorabilia last week I picked up a five year diary which had been given to Troy, by his high school sweetheart. On the front flyleaf is written, "Presented to Troy R Brady--by--Vada I. Elder--Christmas Eve1924." On the opposite side of the flyleaf Troy had written, "Words are words, and likewise thoughts are thoughts. When writing in this book write only thoughts, not words." We both had a good laugh over that. No doubt his teenage wisdom told him that was a very profound statement. Now he can't imagine what he was thinking at the time. What he probably meant to say was, that his thoughts were recorded in the diary and they were to be secret. Troy's memory is that the diary was given to him when he was a senior in high school and Vada a junior, but if so the date should be 1923, instead of 1924, for he graduated on May 8, 1924. I think his fast entry must have been made on November 18, 1924, when he wrote, "First day in school at M. S. B. C. Room at Bob Wyatts, 521 Ann Street." (Parkersburg, West Virginia) The first entry in the front of the book is dated Jan. 1, 1924. His entries for over a month are dated 1924, but we know from what he has written that he was in Mountain State Business College in Parkersburg and working at a quick food restaurant at that time. He did not go to Parkersburg until November of 1924 so his first entries have to be dated incorrectly. We both read the diary through about every ten years, as we do our love letters, but I do not remember ever noticing the confusion in his dating of the entries. I think we just gave it a casual reading until I decided that I wanted to preserve some of the comments in the book, since it is going to pieces and probably should be discarded when we are through with it. Troy wrote only a few weeks in his diary at the beginning of the year, then occasional entries were made during the rest of 1925 and in 1926 They are the usual things a late teenager would probably write concerning school, work, letters received and written, etc. He frequently mentioned Vada. One letter he received from her scolded him for not writing to his grandmother, with whom he had lived before going to Parkersburg. Another entry indicated that he and Vada had an "understanding" before he left for Parkersburg. I think it was probably one of those "engaged to be engaged arrangements," which proved not too binding. But I heard a lot about Vada after we were married. I think here I should quote essentially two paragraphs from my book, "Reclaimed Memories," concerning this relationship. ''Troy's girl friend in high school was the principal's daughter, Vada Elder. We have a kodak picture of the two of them. After our marriage he often mentioned her. Her dad would tease him by calling him "son-in-law." I think he liked her parents as much as he did Vada. Vada later married a man by the name of "Haun," and they lived in Grafton, W. Va., in 1937. The Grafton church had the only lady pastor in the United Brethren Church in the conference, Lois Luzader. The denomination's annual Missionary Convention was being held in this church in 1937 and Troy and I attended it. As soon as we went into the church Mrs. Luzader said, "Rev. Brady, Mrs. Haun has called two or three times to ask if you had arrived." I'm sure Troy felt gratified that his high school sweetheart was inquiring about him and I felt gratified that at long last I would be able to meet this paragon of perfection before we left the city. 91 We were assigned to the home of a family by the name of Sloan, for lodging and breakfasts during the convention. Mr. Sloan and Vada's husband taught in the same high school. We inquired about them and told the Sloans and another couple who were staying there, that Troy and Vada were high school friends and we were anxious to see her. Mr. Sloan looked at me and said, "Mrs. Brady, you do not need to go with him to see Mrs. Haun. When he comes back he will put his arms around you and say, 'Honey, I sure am glad I married you."' I understood what he meant when we visited her the next day. She was a short woman almost as broad as she was tall. But I liked her and enjoyed the visit. After we had gone a little distance from her home on our way back to the church Troy put his arm around my waist and said, "Honey, I sure am glad I married you!" There are a number of entries in the fall of 1925 that show he did not lack for a social life. Several girls are mentioned that probably added interest to his business college days. He played with "The Nightingales" for several dances and once wrote, "I danced with a hot mama with glasses." "At Irelands. Met "Betty" Thrash. (?) Got a date for Wed. nite. She seems very modest." (A little addition at this late date about the said "Betty" Thrash. My name was not Betty, but Elizabeth. He said, "Elizabeth is too long. I am going to call you "Betty" and Betty I became to so many people who came to know us well When I sign letters, to some (sign as Betty and to some as Elizabeth. Perhaps the "modest" note was prompted because I slapped him when he kissed me without my permission. The question mark after "Thrash" was because he was not sure of the spelling.) Four days later he wrote, "In Love. Work today. Betty's at 8:00 pm. She dances very well. Either very green or very good. Probably both." (I object! Not green, but knew how I wanted to be treated.) Troy was an excellent dancer.The Charleston was the rage at that time and he could do all those intricate steps that won him first place in a dance contest at the Hippodrome Theater before we met. His musical ability and his dancing really impressed me. I laved to dance so that is the way we enjoyed our dates. July 4, 1926. Betty and I make the big plunge. Holly and Cosie help us. Rev. West put on the "glue." The following statistics were entered at the end of July, for Troy. 5 feet 6-12 inches. Shoe size 6-1/2 wide. Weight 120 lbs. Height Betty: weight 103 lbs. Height 5 feet 3 inches. Waist 23 inches. Hips 33 inches. Shoe size 4. (No mention of bust. The Thrash sisters were a little ashamed of their rather large breasts. Flat and boyish was the style in the 20's. My feet really grew two or three sizes!) Troy's diary was laid aside after our marriage in 1926 until after Howard's birth. We were living in Cairo, West Virginia and serving our fast pastorate when we started to jot down incidents which I think will be of interest to our sons and our grandchildren if I record them. There are exactly eight years and five months difference in Marion and Howard's ages and we were so happy when Howard arrived The children provided so much joy to our lives that we wanted to record some of those events, and the diary seemed a good permanent place to preserve the little incidents that gave us pride and joy. I am going to go through the book and just type some of the entries and the dates when recorded. (Most of the later entries were made by me, the proud mother of two sons!) 92 Jan. 25, 1936. Howard laughed time after time today, when I played with him. Surely is lively for three months. When Howard was two weeks old Troy's dad and half sister, Lois, came to live with us. Dad was a chiropractor, but the practice had been outlawed in West Virginia, due to the lobby of the A.MA. and he was so near blind with cataracts that he could not work Lois was twelve years old and her mother had deserted the two of them for another man. They had to have help and we seemed thrones to give it at this time. They remained with us for exactly twenty weeks. While there Dad got the medical attention he needed. Feb. 5, 1936. Drove to Parkersburg today. Dad Brady had his teeth pulled and we had the baby's picture taken at Dills. Feb. 17th. Howard's picture came today. His daddy declares that it looks just like his baby picture! It surely looks just like Howard to me! Feb. 19, 1936. Marion brought his report card home today. Every grade an "A." We are proud of our fine little lad. Hope he turns out as good a man as he is a student. Feb. 23, 1936. Ted Blossom, Ruth, Ralph and Ann Hopkins were here for supper this evening and stayed until 10:00 o'clock. It isn't long till March 15th. (Ted and Blossom were to be married then.) Marion played the uke, clarinet and chorded a little on the guitar for them. They gave him enough money, with what he had saved to buy his music rack. Feb. 24, 1936. Howard is four months old today. He weighs 14 pounds and is such a sweet little fellow. Laughs all the time and can almost sit alone. His grandpa has taught him to blow through his lips. He doesn't always make the noise, but does manage to spit all over himself. A hectic morning. Miss Kellar (Marion's teacher) told Marion at school today that he made the best average in the county on his monthly tests. Average of ninety-nine and a half. March 4, 1936. Dad operated on at 9:30 a. m. Dr. Hartman removed cataracts. Appears successful. Dad on his back for 20 hours. (How very different from a cataract operation today. Troy had to stay awake all night to see that his dad did not move his head. Troy returned home the next day. His dad did not get home until March 10th. (On that day Troy and Blossom signed a note for $55.00 to Dr. Hartman.) March 14, 1936. Marion got a painful injury to his am. Think a bone maybe broken. Beulah, Buddy and little Teddy stay all night. (Relatives) Beulah and Ruth have a good time with Howard. He does several cute tricks now. Shakes hands like a Methodist. March 15, 1936. Blossom and Ted married today. Troy tied the knot. There were 23 guests present. Included were the Clintons, Hinkles, Ruth, Dad, Lois, and our family. It was in Ruby's home in Parkersburg. March 18th. Miss Daubenspeck and Miss Kellar, Lois and Marion's teachers, were here for dinner this evening. Miss Kellar said that Marion and Carolyn Moyers each made an average of 99 percent on the county tests for the month, the highest in the county. Miss Kellar also said that it was an honor to make the highest grade average in her room, as she had several exceptionally bright children. 93 All we have heard over the radio today is flood news. Johnstown and Pittsburgh especially are in a crisis. Fire, famine and a shortage of drinking water feared. Ibis was the greatest flood in the history of the state. Pittsburgh's "Golden Triangle" under 18 feet of water. March 20, 1936. the flood crested in Parkersburg at 48 feet. Not as severe as the 1913 flood which crested at 58-feet. Blossom and Ted returned from honeymoon. Here tonight. March 24th. Howard is five months old today and his first tooth is just through the gum. He is beginning to sit alone. Never still a minute. Stiffens his little back and scoots off our laps to the floor like a two year old. March 28, 1936. Dad and Lois went to Rosalyn's today. Blossom and Ted took them, along with Dad's two dogs. Troy and I had a little cry after they left. Dad hated so to leave the baby, and who wouldn't! April 10, 1936. Miss Kellar gave the children their county test results for last month. Marion's again was the highest, with an average of 97 and Caroline Moyers was second with a 95. April 18, 1936. Troy came home today from Huntington. (He held a revival there.) Think he was glad to get home and we were surely happy to see him! Brought all of us gifts. Howard a rubber kitty and a jumping Micky Mouse; Marion a New testament, a Swiss Family Robinson, a ball and a bow and arrow, and for me a real pretty pink, crepe dress. Marion said, "He is the best daddy in the world." April 20, 1936. Both boys have the whooping cough. April 21, 1936. Marion is home from school to stay until he gets over the whooping cough, or everyone else gets it. I went to school for his books. Miss Kellar wants him back so badly. She had him entered in three of the district tests; reading, writing and spelling. He was the only one entered for more than one contest. April 24, 1936. Howard six months old today. He pulls himself to a standing position and hangs on to the side of his bed. April 30, 1936. Howard now crawls and walks around his bed. May 24, 1936. Marion's ninth birthday. We could not give him much, except our love and the book "Robinson Crusoe." Ruby Clayton gave him a nice box containing souvenirs from different places, also pencil sharpener, crayons and marbles. Howard crawls everywhere and climbs anything. Has to be watched every second. Rev. and Mrs. Capehart, Paul, Ann and Billy here for dinner today. (As I go through this diary and see how many visitors we had for meals and to stay overnight I wonder how in the world we ever fed them adequate meals, while we were living in Cairo. Later we were not so poverty stricken.) May 26, 1936. Howard learned to patty-cake and say, "Mama" today. June 14, 1936 Howard gets sweeter every day. Claps his hands every time we say pattycake. Marion is so good and patient with the baby. Don't think he would raise any 94 objection regardless of how the baby treated him. He hides and Howard will look everywhere for him, then laughs or squeals when he finds him. June 15, 1936. We took seven young people as delegates to the Christian Endeavor Training School in Huntington. Went in an old Dodge truck. Left Marion with Blossom and Ted in Parkersburg. June 19, 1936. Home again and glad to be here. So glad to see Marion. Howard made a big fuss over him when he got in the truck. Patted his face and squaled. Marion said he had had a good time but was glad to see us. We are dead tired. June 20, 1936. Marion and Howard had a big game of hide and seek today. There was not much catsup left and Marion put the bottle on his chair until he had his potatoes on his plate, then emptied the bottle over his potatoes. I said, "Marion, you should be ashamed to think more of yourself than you do of Mother and Daddy." He said "I do not think more of myself. I just think more of catsup." June 27, 1936. Howard took two steps alone today. Sept. 2, 1936. Conference begins today. I wonder if we will go to Union. (We did.) Sept. 17, 1936. (Troy made this entry) "Moved to Union Charge. Three ladies cleaned the parsonage. Our furniture dusty." (Our furniture was moved by truck In the United Brethren Church the parsonages were not furnished, as they are in the United Methodist Church.) The next day Troy wrote, "A hard day unpacking. A surprise shower from the Union Church. They brought about $10. worth of groceries." (Those groceries would have cost at least $50. at today's prices.) Oct. 2, 1936. Our new living room furniture and rug came today. Our house begins to look like a home. Oct. 30, 1936. A piece of glass worked out of Howard's foot today. Been in there over four months. No wonder he quit trying to walk! He was taking steps alone in June. Nov. 16, 1936. Marion made his decision for Christ tonight. We are all very happy! Nov. 17, 1936. Marion testified for the first time tonight at the prayer service in the Union Church. Howard did his best to follow his example. Nov. 24, 1936. Howard is thirteen months old today. He understands almost everything said to him and talks a lot for his age. He puts two and three words together and just about expresses what he wants to say. He tries to say almost everything we ask him to say. Nov. 29, 1936. Howard got into the coal bucket and looked like "Little Eppie" when I discovered him. Less than an hour after I cleaned him up he got into the cupboard and washed himself from the eyes down in strawberry jam. He always enjoys himself whether we do or not! (Another year in Troy's Diary, 1937) Jan. 13, 1937. (At Union) Howard took the silverware out of the drawer while I was preparing breakfast this morning, laid them on the table, looked up and said "Thank YOU." 95 A couple made arrangements to be married this evening. They later remembered that it was the 13th and asked if Troy would wait until after midnight to perform the ceremony. Jan. 16, 1937. Went to Vienna for the dedication of the new Sunday School addition. (We were caught in the big flood of 1937. Could not get home for two weeks. Spent most of that time in Cairo with the Claytons. Had to wash every day because of the baby. We were the first vehicle to cross the bridge at Pomroy, Ohio, on our way home. We waited there for an hour or two before we were allowed to cross. The folks at Union carried on the evening service that Sunday. They all cheered when we walked in the door of the church on Sunday evening. They were not any happier to see us than we were to see them! Home never looked so good!) May 30, 1937. Howard's prayer was so sweet this morning. "Bess me, bess Mane, bess Daddy, bess Momie. Amen." Ruby, Ruth, Ralph, Opal, Bodford. Jo, Ted and Blossom all here for dinner today. (All relatives) June 16th. Buddy, Beulah, David, Teddy and Blossom here today. Left the next day taking Marion with them. We miss him so much! (All relatives) June 24, 1937. Howard is 20 months old today. He can just about carry his side of a conversation. He's such a darling! Almost everyone thinks he looks like Marion did at his age. Heard from Marion. He seems to be having a good time. He went up in a plane Sunday. (Ted and Blossom always saw that he had a good time. Guess that contributed to his feeling of closeness to them over the years.) Blossom and Zylpha are visiting us at this time (2-24-1992) and I just gave her a copy of this transcript to read and she told me about the plane ride. It was a little open affair taking passengers for rides. Ted refused to go up in it and Blossom and Marion called him Uncle Panty Waist. When Marion returned home he sent a "Thank You" card which was mostly pictures to illustrate the things he had enjoyed. He would write a few words then draw a picture. They were amused because he wrote "Uncle" then followed that with a picture of a pantie and a waist. When the pilot teamed that it was their first time up he gave them some thrills, which were not too much appreciated by Blossom.) Jess and Faye Simmermon were with us in Union for the camp meeting, arriving July 19, 1937. less was one of our classmates in the seminary and was the evangelist for the services our first two years on the Union Circuit. I well remember that they enjoyed both Howard and Marion so much. An entry on Aug. 2nd says, "We were sorry to see the Simmermans leave. We had a grand time while they were here. We asked Howard where they had gone. He said, 'Aunt Faye go by-by in chine (machine). Unkie Yess go he home.' He certainly talks well for 21 months." Sept. 10, 1937. Troy took Howard with him to Browns to get apples today. When they started Howard said, "Goodby, Momie. Be a good boy, Momie." He tells his name, age and how much he loves. 10-24-37. Howard is two today and is he sweet! Ruth and Ralph (E.T.B.'s sister and her husband) Ruby and Roscoe (E.T.B.'s sister and Ruby's son.) First time we have seen Roscoe in over six years. (Ruby and her husband were divorced She had custody of the two children but Ross persuaded her to let Roscoe live with him and his wife for a few weeks. He promised faithfully to bring him back from Kansas in time to start school in the fall Instead they moved to California, taking seven year old Roscoe with them. Ruby grieved for those years until she was financially able to go to California and get him.) 96 10-31-1937. Sunday. Our faithful old Lizzie wrecked today. Roscoe went through the windshield, (Roscoe was again visiting us at Union. He had a few cuts; nothing serious. A sixteen year old boy driving his brother's car came around a turn too fast and ran into Troy's car. Troy was over ors his side of the highway as far as he could get, due to a high bank Neither car was insured so it was just counted as an accident. Troy took care of his parish by bicycle until we could scrape up a down payment on a second hand car) 12-21-1937. Bought a '33 Chevrolet today. Paid $100. down. Hope we can meet the payments. 12-26-1937. The folks at Vernon Church gave us $36.50 today to help on car payment. We are so thankful for the help. (There were a few entries during the first half of 1938, but nothing of much interest to the family They dealt mostly with events in the different churches on the Union Circuit and of the visits of relatives. We had a lot of family visitors; many of whom have since passed away; others so widely separated by miles that we seldom see them.) In the back of the diary, under "Memoranda" Troy had written several entries as soon as he received the book as a gift. Two were in French, so I could not interpret them, but the others were: "When life is spent we still have the memory." (In 1924 he probably thought life would be spent before the age of thirty.) "Make each day twice as great as the one before it." "A careless word may tear a heart, a home, or a nation to shreds." "Hearts may be broken, but the tried steel of true love defies all the blows of life." 'The bridge of love crosses rivers wider than the world." 'The lips tell the mind, the eyes the soul." "Two lies do not mean more than one, nor less than a thousand. One, two or a thousand, they are all one--untruth." The last two entries were made January 16, 1924, which show that the date entry on the front flyleaf should show that he received the diary Christmas Eve, 1923, not 1924. (So many entries about "love" and we had not even met! How sad for me. E.T B.) 97 SERMONS The following sermon was delivered October 19th, 1947, in the Evangelical United Brethren Church in Elkins, West Virginia. I feel sure that it was one which was printed in the Elkins' Intermountain. It was their policy to print one full sermon a week from a pastor in Elkins. It was not Troy's policy, at that early date to write or type a sermon, unless it was far publication. ARE CHRISTIANS NORMAL PEOPLE? Text: "And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." Romans 12:2. There is a force in the world today called "public opinion." It is a force that can do - and has done - a lot of good. It has corrected abuses in public office; it has demanded and received, reforms in obviously evil matters. But public opinion is not a safe guide for the moral conduct of a Christian. A Bible believing Christian will always find himself at cross purposes with the World. By the word "World" we Christians do not mean the globe on which we live. This globe, or earth, is usually referred to as "the world" by the inhabitants living on this sphere. We use the term as Jesus did - to refer to the group of humanity outside the true church, and opposed to it. Jesus said, "If you were of the world the world would love its own, but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you." John 15:19. It has been brought to my attention that some of you, especially the young people of our church, have been criticized because of the stand you and your pastor have taken, in regard to moral issues. Let me say that you have no cause to apologize for belonging to a church that believes the word of God and upholds higher standards than the common mob. You ought rather to ask that those who persecute you explain how they can claim to be followers of Jesus can do otherwise in these matters! You who stand fast under these persecutions are to be highly commended. May God bless you. TWO STANDARDS--There are two standards for living upheld in the earth today. One of them is the standard of the world. Popular opinion has built an ideal person. This ideal person is one who is agreeable; one who will conform to the average of those about him; one who will not create disturbances by pointing out the evils around him! He will be a "good fellow" with the crowd! He may not indulge in their lusts and pleasures, but he will not object to others doing as they please. Of course, this popular ideal has not been influenced very much by the word of God. Why not? One reason is that the world knows very little about the scriptures. If you do not believe this just have a Bible quiz, even among church people and discover the meager knowledge of the average person concerning the Word. Certainly the Holy Spirit does not enter into the formation of this ideal! He is unknown to the unsaved world, except as he convinces them of sin as they hear the word of God. No, it is other forces that enter into the world's ideal personality. It is the likes and dislikes, the pleasures and the passions of men and women; not the will of God that make up the molding forces in the world's ideal! 98 The second standard of life today is the standard of God's word. Here, brethren, new terms enter in; terms that the world knows little about, even ridicules! There is the word "holiness". Not long ago I actually heard a ministerial student making light of that word! He did so in complete ignorance of the fact that the word of God says, "Without which (holiness) no man shall see the Lord." We ridicule the word of God when we make fun of Bible holiness. Scriptural holiness is as sacred, both in doctrine and in experience, as is salvation. Let us be careful that in our zeal to avoid fanaticism we do not set at nought the word of God. There is another term that enters into the Bible standard of an ideal man. How long has it been since you have heard the word "righteous" used to describe any person in the church or community? People today seem to have lost the value of that term. Is it possible that none live close enough to Almighty God to earn that adjective? If that be true, then certainly the world knows nothing of the term "Christlikeness." Here indeed is a word to challenge the church today! Do we dare to uphold such a standard by our daily living, in a world poisoned by liberalism? (Or is the word "libertinism?") New negatives enter into the heavenly pattern. We hear much today about the "futility of negative preaching!" What is meant is that many ministers are afraid to condemn sin as such! No battery will work if it has only a positive pole! A minister that is not against anything isn't for anything! Our negatives are worldliness, carnality, fleshly and sinful! They are all good words because they are upheld by God's word. New forces also influence the standard of the Word. Here the Bible is the determining factor. Its high standards in motive and act are final to the Christian! The Holy Spirit adds his light and flame to the authority of a man of God. No wonder the world cannot understand our morals! They do not have the "spirit of understanding." Christians are also limited and guided by their regard for the church. A church member who will disgrace himself in the community by conduct unbecoming a Christian is placing an even greater disgrace upon his church. He proves his unworthiness and his lack of grace. There is another great force determining the Christian's standard. It is the welfare of others. A sinner can possibly excuse his disregard for others in his pursuit of greed, lust or pleasure, but a true Bible Christian - never! Some of you have wondered why I am so bitterly opposed to whiskey, wine and beer. I'll tell you why! It is because I care for what happens to others! Especially do I care about the children! If beer becomes so common it is sold in every grocery store it will poison the minds and the bodies of our children and young people! We will soon be a nation of Falstaff, ready to be duped as were the Germans by Hitler and Stalin, or any other false leader who happens along. A new pattern becomes ours with the acceptance of the new standard. It is no longer the ideal man of the World but the "measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." The Holy Spirit holds up this pattern as in a mirror. "We are changed into the same image, from glory to glory." (II Corinthians 3:18) This brings us to a new transfigured life. A life different from the people of the World. A normal life as against the life of the World around us. TWO ATTITUDES: Our attitude concerning two standards will be determined by which of the standards we accept as normal. If we accept the world's standard we will look upon the higher standard of the Scriptures as abnormal. Those who see the standard of the "Word" as inescapable, because it comes from God, will naturally hold that of the world's standards as too low. 99 Robert L. Ripley in his "Believe It Or Not" tells about a small village in the Alps, in which all the people, because of some trick of nature, have six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. If outsiders come to the village the children become excited and curious when they discover these abnormal people who have only five digits on each limb. Need I make the application? Is it strange then, that in a world of abnormal morals that God's normal men and women should be looked upon as "freaks?" But the question before us this morning must be settled! Which of the two standards should we accept? If the word of God is to be accepted and followed then my text from Romans 12:2 is enough! It is perfectly clear! "Be not conformed" - that is do not mould yourself after the pattern of this world. In England the churches which will not accept the ritual of the Church of England are called "non-conformist." We know from this text that every true Christian must be a non-conformist in the manner of his moral conduct. The exhortation here is, "Be ye transformed," rather than conformed." Many sermons have been preached from this one word "transformed." It is the same Greek work used to describe Jesus on the Mount with the three disciples. "He was transfigured before them." It is the word used in the verse we gave from II Corinthians 3:18, "We---are changed." It contains in its glorious possibilities no less than a complete metamorphosis. This transformation must come by a renewing of our minds. This is a word which means, not just a repairing of our minds, but a complete making new of our minds. It signifies a complete change of the very nature of our minds. There is also a richer meaning that comes from a study of the exact word used for "mind." This is no mere intellectual mind. It has to do with a contrast between the intellectual judgment of good and evil, and the spiritual judgment of these things. Christians must rely on the revealing of the Spirit, as well as common sense, in the judgment of that which is right and wrong. TWO RESULTS: There is no such thing as decision without consequences. If we accept either of these standards we will reap the results of our decision. If we determine to become '\world conformers" then the future for us is of our own choosing. Men pleasers cannot be God pleasers, "You cannot serve God and mammon." - "If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him." If we cannot sever ourselves from the standard of the "fleshly" life then we must suffer the verdict of the Scriptures which says, "To be carnally minded is death." Of course the whisper of Satan is immediately heard, "You shall not surely die." But God's children hear Jesus say, "He is a liar!" We then go our way confident in the truth. To the transformed the future is clear. The "World" will hate us, but we remember that Jesus warned us of this and says to us, "Remember that it hated me before it hated you." Over against the hate of this world we know that God loves us! It is better to walk alone with God than to go along with the world. If we pay the price to be non-conformists to the world God will honor our consecration with answered prayer, with spiritual blessings and with eternal life. If you approve of things as they are, then you will probably favor the "standard of the world." If you are dissatisfied with this present evil world you will choose God's way. Remember the choice is not to be lightly made! It will bring either life or death! Only you can decide which choice you will make! 100 SERMON PREACHED BY TROY AT EMMANUEL UNITED BRETHREN CHURCH, BRADENTON, FLORIDA, FEBRUARY 13, 1966. GOD'S DEATH - A FALSE REPORT Text: "God liveth forever and ever." (Revelation 15:7b) I seldom yield to the temptation to preach about current events. Sunday morning worship should furnish relief from such a steady diet! However, the news this week is exceptional. It concerns all of us very much. You have heard about it and read about it this sensational statement that "God is dead!" All kinds of comments from disgust, anger, awe and even fear has resulted! Many jokes and puns have made their appearance on the subject. It is impossible not to think of Mark Twain's personal note in the newspaper, after a rumor of his decease had been circulated. The note read: "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated." Signed Mark Twain. Some have suggested that these theologians (?) are victims of a hoax and that they attended, what was supposed to be, God's funeral but someone had facetiously placed a mirror in the empty casket. What they saw was their own image! I have been listening and reading to learn who these men are and what they believe. They are reportedly teachers of theology. The dictionary defines theology as, "The study of God and the relation between God and the universe." It is from the Greek word " theologia" which, simply translated means, "wise words about God." But it is obvious that the statement, "God is dead" does not belong to theologia! This is more what St. Paul calls "morologia." (Eph. 5:4) What are these men seeking? Could it be notoriety? Are they, like small spoiled children, determined to get attention at any cost? Are they using this phrase for its shock value? Are they not crying, "Look at us!" We know that such a sensational matter will soon die from the front pages of newspapers and from the screens of our TV's. But how long will it live on the campuses of the schools of America, to poison the minds of our gullible youth? These university professors seem to be saying, "We have outgrown the God of the Old Testament. We do not like His stern judgments; his strict rules of conduct. We could add, from the common attitude of our culture, especially those bothersome "Ten Commandments." That persistent Decalogue is continually spoiling the smooth flow of both profits and pleasure in people's lives today. What a nuisance to have the command, w1bou shalt not steal," suddenly push up from the sub-conscious as the result of some long forgotten childhood memory in Sunday School or catechism class! Why should we let God interfere with our business dealings? "After all we have to fight competition! Whose business is it if we gamble a bit; or if we get "our share" of the split from the latest political steal from public funds?" How the publishers of pornographic magazines must hate God for saying, "Thou shalt not commit adultery!" The professors say that men no longer respect his laws so "God is dead" to a lawless generation. These same men do not respect the laws of the state, but the law is not dead! If you think so just ignore a few traffic lights. But men think they can ignore God's laws and nothing will happen. Every week the minister, the social worker and families must review an endless procession of broken hearts and broken homes, wrecked minds and ruined health, all because someone thought, "God is dead." His rules do not matter! 101 In spite of this, these impractical, ivory tower professors say, "The God of the Old Testament is no longer acceptable to modem day culture. Let Him die! We prefer a more modem, easy going God who is a bit more soft on the actions of men." How is it that men of such intelligence can come to believe such absurd statements as "God is dead?" If you will follow closely I believe that you will see that this is to be expected today. It is the natural product of the so-called "new" liberal theology. Let's examine the progress of these ideas! 1. The first step in their descending path is to try to discredit the Bible, as the dependable word of God. Their claim is that it only contains the word of God. This leaves the Bible open to denial and refusal, for who is to say which parts are or aren't his word! Every little "two bit" self styled "thinker" can say about any part of God's word "It doesn't suit my way of thinking! It has to be nothing but myth and fable!" 2. While denying certain sections of the Bible as being contrary to common sense and scientific fact, these men are perfectly willing to accept as irrefutable truth almost any untried unproven, scientific theory! To them "science says" is higher authority by far than, "Thus saith the Lord!" This is true in spite of the vacillating variations in these theories! But while being so scientifically gullible, men of this bent seem unwilling to test for themselves the promises of the word of God. In contrast to this is the example of the minister who was casually examining a Bible at the bedside of an invalid saint. At many places along the margin of the pages he found penciled in the letters "T and P." He asked their meaning and was told , “Those are at verses containing God's promises. They mark the ones I have tried and found to be true. the letters stand for, "Tested and Proven." Having taken such a position regarding the Bible, the next step in the "new" theology is to destroy the identity of God To understand better how this is being attempted let's try to visualize, by the use of a symbolic diagram. We will use the very meaningful one for the Holy Trinity. which is the three interlocking circles. We will let the first circle represent God, the Father; the second God the Holy Spirit; the third God, the Son. If we question these liberal "theologians" about the Holy Spirit their answers vary from a vague benevolent influence" to "emotionalism" and "sheer superstition." To thus deny the presence of this helper, who lives within every true Christian, is to leave their lives wide open to the other spiritual presence spoken of in Ephesians the second chapter, "the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience." And not only this, but they are in direct denial of God's word in Romans 8:9, "If anyone does not possess the Spirit of Christ he does not belong to Him." In other words he is not a Christian! We see now that to make our symbol properly represent the position of these liberals, we must remove one of the circles; the one standing for the Holy Spirit. This leaves us but two circles. Their second step then is to deny the position of Christ in the Godhead. This they have undertaken to do by denying, or ignoring the pre-existence of Christ. One lecturer said in my presence, "John's gospel is unreliable, altered to try to prove early dogma of the Church Fathers." By ridiculing the Bible teachings of the virgin birth of Christ, they have further revealed their humanistic goals. They will praise Jesus of Nazareth as "supreme man" - "greatest teacher" - or even call him "Lord," but even a perfunctory reading of their related material soon exposes that he is "Lord" to them only as "Lord Buddha" is to the yellow robed priests of the Orient. In other words he is the "master teacher." Thus 102 our symbol must again be changed. Jesus is no longer the "only begotten of the Father," but just Jesus, a son among many other sons. (I remember this Sunday morning sermon well It was much like a teaching lecture. Troy used a chalkboard to illustrate the circles as he talked The benediction was not pronounced until after twelve o'clock This was against his usual custom. -- E T. B.) But they are not yet satisfied! Certain of the Gospel accounts, such as His miracles, they say are explainable by natural phenomenon, or they are a part of the myth aura built up around Jesus by early writers! Thus they have arbitrarily sliced out, like a generous serving of pie, the power of Christ over nature. This leaves the circle of Christ no longer a circle. It now is a reduced circle with a large wedge removed. (HERE HE ILLUSTRATED THE SHAPE ON THE CHALKBOARD.) But these butchers of the identity of God do not stop here. Another segment of his record insults their intelligence! These are His teachings concerning the end of the age and "last things." His eschatology. Now our circle has another segment removed and looks like this. "(HE AGAIN ILLUSTRATES.) What is left? Only His teachings on moral and sociological subjects, which they bend to suit the latest fads of Fabian Socialism. They ignore the fact that all human teachings and systems fall and fail, when broken on the hard stone of unregenerate human nature! The teachings of Jesus are useless without His divine atonement, and his power to transform men into spiritual sons of God. These men have sought to eliminate all the "embarrassing" things he taught! The lecturer quoted went on to say, "After all He was limited to the knowledge of his day." So out with these ideas of judgment, hell, of last days! Away with prophecies of Anti-Christ and the physical phenomena of "the wrath of God," often spoken of in the Bible. All such ideas as sin, personal responsibility, holiness of life are all outworn, ancient creeds! They have, according to our liberal contemporaries, been proven false by progressive thinking! We should not be surprised to have these men pronounce the death sentence on God! They do not even say, "The Father is dead -long live the Son! No, just, "God is dead!" And nothing is left except man! No help for crime-ridden, sin-blighted, guilt-laden man! Just man alone, headed for self-destruction or over-populated starvation. How can these "Morticians of Divinity" come to learn the truth? It will not be easy! They have destroyed the ladder by which they can escape the pit of their spiritual ignorance! What can be the steps into life for these and all spiritually dead men? 1. "They must let the Holy Spirit convict and convince them of their need for a Savior from their sins. But how can they when they reject the very idea of God and the Holy Spirit? It is as a local retiree said to me the other day, "'What do we need with God? We have social security and medicare now!" 2. They must come as a child to God, for the forgiveness they need. But how - if God is dead? 3. They must, by depending upon the Son of God, ask and receive pardon for their sins. How can they, when they do not believe in the concept of sin, but call it "social abberations caused by an imperfect environment? 4. They must let Christ come in and dwell in their hearts by faith, through his Spirit in the inner man. But how can they? Jesus is only an exalted human to them; and the Spirit is only emotional excitement," or "a superstition!" 103 5. They must confess Jesus Christ before men to be their Savior and their master! Impossible! They say man must save himself by right conduct and brotherly love. And that thus we are our own masters. Impossible - did I say. Well, it won't be easy! Satan fights for every inch he loses! But you may say, "I do not believe in a Devil." Very well! You probably think you are doing your own fighting against these ancient and antiquated ideas, and you may think you have won. But you are wrong on both counts, and if you win you lose - forever! Pray that you lose the fight against God now! Go his way! In the 17th verse of the 7th chapter of John we read these words, "IF ANY MAN WILL DO HIS WILL (THE FATHER'S), HE SHALL KNOW THE DOCTRINE, WHETHER IT BE OF GOD." You will know! And it will be positive knowledge, real and assuring! No, dear friends, God is not dead! But many men are dead to God, and that by their own choice! The text today should warn us. It is the very last of many references in the Holy Word to God's deathlessness! It is spoken by God's messenger in the same breath with the poured out "Wrath of God!" What a surprise is coming to those who think that the long suffering of God indicates that he no longer exists! There is an end, even to the patience of God! Behold you despisers and wonder! But please do not perish! The steps of faith I have given today will bring dead men to life! I beg you to try them! A story, possibly too good to be true, coming from one of the schools involved in the "God is dead" sensation tells a vital truth. Supposedly a student approached a very earnest Christian professor and said, "Dr. Jones, Professor Smith just told us that God is dead." 'Now that is strange!" said Dr. Jones. "f just had a long conversation with God this morning. In fact I was speaking to Him about Professor Smith and his strange ideas!" "What did he say?" asked the student. Dr. Jones replied, "God said that he did not know and had never known Professor Smith." 104 GOD'S LOVING FAMILY Text: "Beloved, now are we God's children." I John 3:2 INTRODUCTION (Troy's notes on the introduction of this message are just phrases of what he said.) IF OUR HOME LIFE WAS NORMAL WHOEVER CALLED HEAVEN "HOME" KNEW HOW TO MAKE IT DESIRABLE. ---What a precious fireside! What tender memories! ---There are few to whom "home" could mean more than to me. ---That old log house 2900 feet above sea level on Rich Mountain in West Virginia. ---When I think of "Homecoming" I can't help but think of heaven as being something like that was; a loving, intimate family. I. LOVE AND FELLOWSHIP IN GOD'S FAMILY The New Testament word for "fellowship" means sharing lovingly and joyfully together. It is enjoying the presence of God together as a family. Verse 1 of I John 3 tells us, " Look everybody at the amazing kind of love our Father has given us. Who are included in this shared love and joy? First: It is a happy dwelling together with God himself. Truly our fellowship is with the Father. (I John 1:3) That same verse tells us, "and with his son, Jesus Christ" 1 Corinthians 1:9 makes it certain when we are told, "Called into fellowship with Jesus." What a joyful walk we have! Philippians 2:1 further assures us of, "Fellowship of the Spirit." The Holy Spirit is the person who brings joy and love to our togetherness! Joy, love and peace are named "Fruits of the Spirit" The fourth fellowship is in the "Gospel" we are told in Philippians 1:5. This is how we extend the "Right hand of fellowship." And the Apostle John is here too! He says, "That ye may also have fellowship with us." (I John 1:3) Once you experience this wonderful fellowship you will never forget it! How could you forget that wonderful joy that comes when we sing, "Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love?" Friend, as you listen are you puzzled? Do you understand? If not, then you had better find out now what it means! Only then can you experience true "homecoming." II. IF LOVE AND FELLOWSHIP IS MISSING, WHY? It could be because you are spiritually dead. You have never been 'born again." You have never experienced the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. If so, then you joined the church as you would any club or society. There was no true reality in it for you! Perhaps you do not have true fellowship because of doctrinal differences. This is Satan's sharp-edged tool to sever our fellowship and our joy. Like the old fable about the blind men who went to see the elephant. One fell against the beast's side and said, "The elephant is very like a wail." Another threw his arms around one of its leg and declared "The elephant is very like a tree." A third blind man caught hold of its tail and proclaimed, "The elephant is exactly like a rope." All three were right and at the same time all three were wrong. 105 There is a story of the men who was cured of blindness by our Lord Jesus. It seems they were having a convention and were drawing up resolutions. One said, "Jesus healed me by putting mud on my eyes." Another said "He just touched my eyes and I could see." The third cried, No that isn't the way he heals! He just says the word and you can see." They finally came out with the following resolution, Resolved: "Whereas we were blind now we see." Another reason true fellowship is destroyed is PRIDE. Old "self' wants the credit and glory! As Jesus said in John 12:43, "They loved the praise of men rather than the praise of God." They want to be church dictator and run thing. Or they think their program or plan is the only one that is important. But the greatest cause of broken fellowship is simply SIN! Sin is the cause of all broken fellowship. It takes in all the other reasons. It brings a feeling of guilt--a violated conscience. We may try to excuse our sin, but we cannot ignore broken fellowship! It is easy to find an excuse for a sin we may enjoy, but no matter how much we may enjoy it, sin is sin! III. LOSS OF FELLOWHIP IS THE GREATEST TRAGEDY. First: It is the greatest tragedy to those who break that fellowship. They left our Lord Jesus. They have the horrible uneasiness of walking alone. They first lost the joy in the Lord; then their peace of mind and finally, their assurance of salvation. Then follows criticism of others, distrust and finally indifference. The second tragedy of broken fellowship is that the church, which is the "Body of Christ" is wounded. A member of that body has been cut off--amputated! The nerve lines of sharing and communion are broken. My cousin's husband had his back broken in an accident. He never walked again as long as he lived. A weakened and crippled body of the church cannot go anywhere; cannot win souls for Christ! And all because of sin! (This seems unfinished, but this is all I found in the ides.-- E.T.B.) 106 (This is the first sermon in a series of four that Troy prepared and preached at the Winter Park (St. Andrews) United Methodist Church in Winter Park, Florida. The date was October 19, 1969. It is hard to comprehend now (1992) the uncertainty and uneasiness everyone felt, at that time, concerning the Soviet Union. -- E. T B.) COMMUNISM -THE IMITATION OF FAITH (Luke 16:8) "The children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light." In perhaps the strangest paradox of this age many Americans seem to actually want to be ignorant about communism! Could this be a sleeping pill of Satan? Are these people saying, "Don't disturb us in our dreams?" They seem to be so busy enjoying their comforts and indulging their pleasures that they do not want to be bothered with the disturbing thoughts of our dangers! Even the wildly growing use of alcohol and drugs seem but mere symptoms, among many others, of the refusal to face reality. Whatever the cause we can rest assured that this sleepy indifference just suits the communists. I. THE COMMUNIST GOALS In the parable which precedes the text for today, Jesus is teaching one truth along with others. This is - don't try to outdo the worldly in scheming. They are wiser, more prudent, shrewd and skillful in planning - "these sons of this age" - than are we, "the children of light." A friend of mine used to say, "One trouble of fighting the Devil is that he will stoop to means we would not dare to use." The shrewdness of the "sons of this age" is to their advantage. They are the chief exponents of the doctrine of "the end justifies the means." The communists are truly masters of deceit. They have developed the use of twisted definitions into an art - the diabolic art of the brainwashers! To them the truth is anything, even the vilest lie if it will advance their world dream of a sensual Utopia. Peace is any act, including war and murder, which will forward their world aims. This is the destruction of capitalism and of God himself Any act which favors capitalism, even feeding the poor, is labeled 'war" by them! Their's is the enthusiasm of a misguided zeal, the fervor of the "not quite sure." Just as Paul said of the Jews, "I bear witness that they have a zeal--." (Rom. 10:2) It is this desperate earnestness of the uncertain mind which is so evident in religious cults also. Use them, they have "no witness of the spirit." They have left the solid ground of the real, the proven, the true. They risk all on the unknown. They feel they have to be right, for they have no refuge elsewhere. Theirs is truly "the point of no return." Their zeal is not according to knowledge! But make no mistake - they are sincere! They act on a desperate and therefore a strong faith. They will sacrifice, suffer, even die for that faith. They are true believers in communist's goals. They cry, "We are making a new world - a world forever free of want, of selfishness, of war!" And they believe it! 107 II. THEIR CONFLICT WITH GOD But the wiseness of those "sons of this age" is a limited wisdom. The Amplified version of the New Testament says, "in their generation - or in relation to their own kind - breed." To them everything is material, natural. They admit no supernatural of any kind--God or Devil-benevolent or evil. To them man must be his own savior, since there is no other. Their conviction is that it is up to us to remake our own world. Their zeal then is not according to true knowledge. It will not stand the final test of reality. Men may cry, "black is white" until they are blue in the face, and still it is only a lie! Only a fool would stand with is hand in the fire and cry, "It feels wonderful." "Why do the pagans gather in anger, and crowds of men imagine foolishness?" This question is asked in Psalm 2:1. "It is not by might (the strength of armies and munitions), nor by power (the dictates of authoritarian rulers), but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts." Zach. 4:6. In John 8:32 we read these words, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." The children of light do not” walk in darkness! This is real knowledge! This is God's word! This is truth! The communists prove themselves "children of Satan," just as Jesus said of the Pharisees, "You are the children of your father, the Devil." (John 6:44) Jesus said of Satan, "He is a liar, and the father of it," meaning the father of all untruth. (John 8:44) The communists are truly anti-Christ by their own admission. They say they cannot ever coexist with Christians. That would be literally impossible. III. THEIR CONTRAST WITH THE CHURCH Communism is not like the church! In some things it is much superior to our modem church. In many ways they put us to shame! Two of the ways are in interest and concern. We build one type of "fallout shelter" extremely well! Ours is a shelter for our minds. It is called "indifference." We seem to say, "let's just ignore it and maybe it will go away." Ours seems to be a Pollyanna attitude of everything is lovely! What takes the attention of most American minds? It is: my pleasures, my sport, my family, my property. Don't annoy me with your panic about communism! It can't happen here! And while we sleep the communists are awake, alert, informed of our weakness and our failures. Another way the communists put the church to shame is in zeal and action. Let's look at the differences. We support an institution. They are slaves to a cause! We are missionaries - evangelist by proxy. They in person. We stay home and look to our comfort. They go out and lose themselves to a cause. Next to the Christian way communism may be the best way yet shown to man. Just as the Devil has some of the attributes of God, so communism has some of the attributes of Christianity. It is Satan's substitute for the Kingdom of God! Which will you have? We must all make up our minds. In the coming years many of us could leave our print on the pages of history. Some of that imprint may be made in blood! 108 When the test comes here in America only the so called fanatical Christians will stand firm to the death. Our forefathers, against a far less terrible tyranny, pledged, as they wrote, "Our lives, Our fortunes, our sacred honor." What will we pledge today? Jesus speaks, "Lovest thou me more than these?" Choose this day whom you will serve. The people of this age are much more shrewd in dealing with their kind than are the people of light, so Jesus admonished us to make worldly, unrighteous wealth to be our friend! Then when it gives out you will be welcomed into the eternal home, which is true riches. Whoever is faithful in small matters, such as handling money, will be faithful in the larger ones. If you haven't been faithful in your handling of worldly wealth, how can you be trusted with real riches? And if you can't be trusted with what belong to someone else, who will give you what might belong to you? No servant can be the slave of two masters. He will either hate the one and love the other, or he will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (LUKE 16:8-13) 109 This is the second sermon in a series of four Troy preached at St. Andrews Church. This one, Sunday morning, October 26, 1969) COMMUNISM IN CONTRASTS Text: Psalm 1:6 "For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish." In any kind of progress toward the better, one simple rule must be followed This rule is: Find out where you are, decide where you ought to be, then get going! The whole trouble today is the confusion about where we ought to be. Some say we should go to a communist economy, some to socialism; others say that where we are is good enough. Some people think that we should go back to the past! If we are truly Christian we believe that we should go forward into the Kingdom of God. But, most important of all we must discover the right way of thinking! Nothing can be accomplished without this. Proverbs tells us in the 23rd chapter and the 7th verse that, "As a man thinketh in his heart so is he." The truth is often discovered by contrasts. I. CONTRAST IN POLITICAL IDEAS The thought of the "ideal state" is ever philosopher's dream and every statesman's defeat. Many and varied are such dreams; as varied as the names of such a state. Utopia, Erehwon , (nowhere spelled backwards) Socialism, Communism, The City of God and the Bible term Kingdom of God are some of the many terms for this future state. How one thinks of this state depends very much on who is doing the theorizing. As Christians, we believe that the Old Testament prophets were the first to discern its true nature. We think that this was a revelation from God. Perhaps the most concise summary is found in Micah 4:3-5. This is quoted verbatim from Isaiah 2:4. The prophets saw this ideal state as having three aspects: 1. PEACE: "They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations shall not lift sword against nation, neither shall they study war any more." 2. SECURITY: "But they shall sit every man under his vine and his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid." This certainly predicts a time of "freedom from want and from fear." 3 GODLINESS: "We will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and for ever." Communism being purely atheistic believes only in the first two. Any ideas of righteousness, purity or holiness are totally foreign to them. Their ideal is a sensual "Paradise on Earth." In America we give lip-service only to the "godliness" ideal and we include the first aspect, "peace," only if it is convenient to our economic welfare. We mostly care only about money and security. While we all hope for the coming of this ideal state, there is a vast difference in the proposed ways to bring it about. From some long forgotten source I learned this comparison. 110 Socialism would pass laws that, by majority vote of the people, would make it illegal for them to go only in one direction; that is toward the ideal state. In democracy we embrace pretty much this same concept, especially in the social gospel." Communism, and fascism also, would herd men toward this "Utopia" like "dumb, driven cattle" whether we want to go or not. Some churchmen are in agreement. Capitalism, the purely laissez-faire kind says, "To heck with the common herd! I live on beef and I am already in Utopia." Christianity just does not fit into any of these categories! We are men, not cattle, and we believe that God will eventually answer the prayer that for almost 2000 years has gone up to him every day. "Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." II. CONTRASTS IN IDEAS ABOUT PROPERTY Perhaps the major issue between East and West today is the contrasting answers to the question, "Who owns things?" The communists answer is that the state owns everything. Private ownership of property, they say, is the cause of selfishness and the curse of capitalism. In Russia the whole state belongs to the communists. The communist party is only a small percentage of the total population, yet they and they alone, control what they claim belongs to the state. Isn't that really ownership? Capitalism, to the contrary, holds that the state should possess nothing except what is necessary to protect and serve the people. The national government must protect its citizens from outside enemies and function as a referee to see that various segments of society "fight fair." All other properties than this, they say, belongs to individuals, to do with as they please. Sharp lines of distinction are drawn between "thine" and "mine." What most people do not realize is that the Christian viewpoint is in sharp contrast to both capitalism and communism at this point. In fact, not many Christians are aware of the Bible teachings in this matter. It is not at all a popular one and has been by-passed by great segments of the church. However, the true Christian teaching about property is that it belongs to God. We who possess property are only temporary managers for Him! Most of us know the scriptural proof of this, but we usually choose to ignore its true implications. Many of us glibly quote Psalms 24:1, "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein" We are also familiar with other such proofs of God's ownership; "the land is mine--saith the Lord." (Lev. 25:23) "The silver and the gold are mine." (Haggai 2:8) "And the cattle on a thousand hills are mine--" (Psalm 50:10) Although most Christians are aware of these teachings we are not yet converted to the meanings that the terms convey. Too many of us are still capitalists at heart. Our concern about the advance of communism is often more motivated by property rights than by freedom of worship. III. CONTRASTS IN IDEAS ABOUT PERSONS One of the greatest differences between all other systems and the Christian faith has to do with the worth of an individual. Communism and fascism teach that the state is first and all. The individual is of value only as he can be used to carry out the goals of the government. Capitalism professes to believe in the individual, but often places personal gain far above people. This is the case in vast war profits. 111 On the other hand, the Christian faith holds, from the very words of God himself, that every soul is precious to Him. "We are of more value than many sparrows and God even cares for them." (Matt. 10:31) We believe further that the government exists only to help and protect its people; that every person has a right to live in peace and safety. God is indeed concerned about the least of these as is taught in Matthew 25:40. Much of this teaching has been mouthed by capitalists, but too many times only selfishly and superficially. The truth is that there will be continual conflict between true Christian living and the profit and loss system. Selfishness shows its ugly face in all walks of life today. In government, labor, capital, politics, social movements - yes, even in the church the attitude of selfishness come to the fore. It says the individual does not matter - only our cause matters - or our money - or our pleasures or our race; yes, even our own church. The totalitarian program is always the same! Convert 'em or kill'em! Love has no place at all in such a system! Yet love is the one true test of any real philosophy or system. Satan's program has always been, "recant or die." This will be true until the end. Revelation tells us that in the end time we will either wear the mark of the beast or we will die for our faith. In these days the politicians cry, "peace and plenty." But we can never have either without purity in Christ. Only God has the right to rule body, mind and spirit and only God will rule completely and unselfishly. Only Christ can be "King of kings and Lord of lords forever and forever." But He will not be your king unless you surrender willingly to Him. He is love! He will not force you to yield to Him! Will you surrender to him now, voluntarily? Will you give up yourself and all that you have? He is a tender and loving ruler! 112 COMMUNISM-CAPITALISM-WAYS THAT FAIL (Third in series on Communism--St. Andrews--November 2. 1969) Text: (There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." (Proverbs 14:12) Before Christians were known as Christians they were called 'he People of the Way." That was a good designation, for that is exactly what we are! We have found the way. There is no other way, for this is God's way. Let's look now at the two ways of men and see how they have failed, how they are still failing and will fail in the end CAPITALISM IS NOT "THE WAY." Capitalism has some weaknesses and failures which mark it as not only inadequate to solve the world's problems, but also show it to be basically anti-Christian. First, it is a selfish system. Listen to the words in a report from the National Association of Manufactures. "Profit is no sin! Profit is the motive of capitalism." Here at its very core nestles the seeds of its own destruction! Here is the old cry. "Every man for himself, and the Devil take the hindmost" Under capitalism both labor and management jockey and juggle. They strike and fight for higher wages and profits. So we have a never ending spiral of inflation. I am afraid that this struggle will continue until the unnatural air-castle of false prosperity falls about our ears in another Great Depression. This capital-labor getting-spree reminds me of the prophecy in Proverbs 30:15, "The horseleech hath two daughters, crying give, give." Capitalism is also basically anti-Christian. It is not, as many would have us believe, identical with Christianity. Its philosophy is selfish when compared to the philosophy of unselfish Christian love. It also disputes God's claim to ownership of all property and it sometimes tends to use religion as a cloak of decency under which to hide its evils. Capitalism is not an adequate answer to man's problems because it has nothing to offer for the deep hunger of the soul. It has no answer for the great questions of our hearts. It has lied to millions, saying, "Get rich and you will be happy." Millions have proven this to be a lie. But Capitalism does have some redeeming features. It has some qualities which save it from the far worse falsehoods of Communism. But I must repeat that while it tries to identify itself as closely as possible with Christianity, it is not the Christian way. At times it tries to use religion against the Communists. There are a few points of agreement between Capitalism and Christianity. These help it to be more acceptable than Communism. 1. Both Capitalism and Christianity demand individual rights and that government respect those rights. 2. Both require personal liberty and its twin, individual responsibility. 3. Capitalists can be Christian, and vice versa, Christians can be Capitalists. 113 But the latter is dangerous for Christians. Profits can easily become "god" and then we become idolaters! But with Marxian Communists this would be impossible! How could a Christian be an atheist - an anti-Christ? This is one of the reasons the church can prosper under Capitalism, but cannot under Communism. But let us not forget that Christianity was here before our modem Capitalist system, and it will still be here when it is gone! It will go, for one day this greedy "Babylon" of commercialism will fall. (Rev. 18) At that time God's people will rejoice. It must fall before the "Reign of God" can truly begin on earth. No, Capitalism is not the answer; it is not "the way." It is not God's answer to the world's problems. It can never answer our prayer, " Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." II. COMMUNISM IS NOT "THE WAY." Although Capitalism is not the way to the Kingdom, Communism is even less so - much less! Here are its prime failures. 1. It destroys personal initiative among common people. They have little incentive to work, for they are just working for the state and not to better their lives and that of their children. For the motive of personal initiative Communism tries to substitute a kind of mass zeal; a world-wide mob spirit. Their cry is, "We are building a new world." This vision was stolen from the Christians and modified to suit their own diabolical ends. They leave for their citizens two main motivations. For the masses it is fear and for the elite it is party promotion. Remember for them "Paradise" is a purely material and sensual concept. It presupposes that if man has all his animal urges satisfied he will be supremely happy. But we know that the soul has hungers also. Without soul-food life on earth can be a hell and not a Paradise. 2. Secondly, Communism has solved no real problems for the Russians in the /52 years of its history there. It is true that some have somewhat better housing than before. Few families have automobiles and television sets, but Americans have fared much better under Capitalism. By living on black bread and beet soup the Soviets have built a superior war machine. But socially and spiritually they have failed! Their government is a robot without a heart. They have built a super-state, depending for its existence upon lies, betrayals, bloodpurges, slave camps, broken treaties and shattered promises! Just as the decay of the French monarchy in the 18th century led to the "Guillotine government" of a godless republic, so Communism is the poisonous toadstool which today is growing on the rotting stench of their modem, secular society. 3. Like Capitalism it has nothing to offer for the deep hungers of mankind Communism has no forgiveness - no answer for guilt, but punishment. Without God's grace fallible man can have only hopelessness, unhappiness and death. It has no word to offer the dying and no comfort for those loved ones who are left. There is no gleam of light in the darkness or in any other heart-breaking experience. He who knows a true believing communist knows the perfect example of St. Paul's prophecy that, "In the last days men shall be without natural affection." (II Timothy 3:3) 114 Communism has no redeemer, no comforter! Yet it has become a religion. Its gods are Marx and Lenin; its temporary saints Stalin and his successors - Mao and Ho Chi Minh. Its shrines are the tombs of its dead "gods," and its temples are their structures of material science. The final note of Communism for the individual is despair, always despair! Why? Augustine answers in his prayer to God, "Thou last made us for thyself and our souls are restless until they rest in Then" Somewhere, as a child, I read of a king who had inscribed near his throne a constant reminder; a simple but terrible sentence, "This, too, shall pass away." More than any age of the past this one needs the continual nagging statement of this hard truth! It ought to be on every deed, every pay check, every stock certificate or legal paper. It should be inscribed on every great building; every humble home! In contrast, there should always stand the words of Jesus, "My words shall not pass away." (Matt. 24:35) In the light of these truths and that of the text today, we can see clearly the failure of any human system to bring the final answer to the great problems of the world today. And through all this, the Christian Way remains the untried answer. Economically, politically, socially, morally and above all spiritually, we have yet to see the day that it will be taken seriously as a solution to the ills of the world. But it will be tried! It has been tried already by millions down through the almost 2000 years, and found to be "The Way." It does not fail those who really try it. It has forgiveness. a Redeemer, a Comforter, a hope for earth's future and eternal life. It is the Kingdom of God! Will you take the only way into life and peace? Will you take that way now? Will you accept Christ and receive all those gifts now? For God's way is not only the best way - it is the only way. 115 Fourth in series on communism, November 9, 1969 at St Andrews church, Winter Park, Florida. (This morning, April 17, 1992, when I read the column by Cal Thomas, in the Orlando Sentinel, I had my feeling confirmed that Troy was a right good prophet, when preparing and delivering these four messages on communism. --E. T. B.) THE CHRISTIAN ANSWER TO COMMUNISM Teat: "And He that sat upon the throne said: "Behold I make all things new." A careful study of God's word will not only give us a clear vision of what the coming Kingdom Age will be Like, but will also plainly show that our present Capitalistic Democracy will never lead us into such a future. And surely no one in his right mind would even suggest that an atheistic Communism could bring us to the "Reign of God" Both of these systems are essentially selfish, ruthless and man-made. Without control they would bring nothing but chaos or dictatorship. What then is the hope of the earth for the future? We believe that only the Bible has the answer. Let's look at three central truths of that solution. I. THE CHRISTIANS' POSSESSIONS: MAN'S RESPONSIBILITY What kind of economic system will we have in this new rule of Christ? It will be a kind of Capitalism, with the greed removed! A socialism with the irresponsible laziness removed A divine Communism, with the Anti-Christ removed to the Lake of Fire! Its principles will be faith and love instead of force and lust. Its basic principle will be Psalms 24:1. "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof." All property, all abilities, all skills, all hours of every day will be His, without question and not ours! We will not own, but only manage our possessions for His glory. The early church discovered this principle very soon after Pentecost. "And none of them said that aught of the things he possessed was his own." (Acts 4:32) But like so many today, they made the wrong application of the principle. They began to give away and divide what they had They became bureaucrats -spenders instead of stewards. They were not good managers, but Christian socialists! This system soon failed, because the emphasis was on spending, not responsible stewardship. The reason for their failure was that they did not apply the second principle. That is responsible management under the constant gaze of the true owner. Some of us today have applied that principle. We are conscious that He is continually watching us. 1. We are responsible to Him for how we get our possessions. They cannot come by graft, cheating, theft, gambling, etc. They cannot be 'blood-money" gained by the suffering of others, whether by unfair labor practices, or by profits from such killers as alcohol, illicit drugs or tobacco. 2. We are responsible to him for how we spend our money. This rules out waste! What a blow for government spenders. It also rules out selfish or lustful use of money. 3. We are responsible to him for how we share our possessions. If we all adhered to this principle there would be no hunger, need, poverty or depression in this age; as there will not be in the age to come. 4. We are responsible to him for returning a fair share to the owner. A fair percentage? He asks so little that it seems unfair to Him. In spite of the fact that it all belongs to him, he only asks that a tenth, called a tithe in the Bible, be returned to him. 116 We know that this "Kingdom Finance System" works, even in this age. Thousands have tried it. I need only name men like Colgate, Kraft, and LaTourneau as examples of good managers for God. In Malachi 3:10 is the promise, "Bring ye the whole tithe into the storehouse, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not pour you out a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it!" In Lev. 27:30-33 this claim of God is emphasized, "The tithe is mine, saith the Lord; it is holy unto me." If we all met our responsibilities at the four points above Communism could not come to America. But we will not meet our responsibility! So we must be on our guard that Communism does not overtake us before Christ comes to destroy the Anti-Christ and the evil systems of the world. II. THE CHRIST OF POWER - MESSIAH'S REIGN What kind of government does God intend for this coming Age of Glory? Deep in our hearts we already know, but we so often forget the meaning of our own prayers. We say as does every Christian, "Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." This is the prayer our Lord taught his disciples. Is it to be branded a heresy or is it our hone. We do not pray, "Thy democracy come," or "Thy Communist System come." In truth, every time we pray the Lord's prayer we are asking for the end of earthly systems of government, including our own. If this makes me a traitor, then I thank God that I am a traitor! Please do not misunderstand me. I do believe in our Capitalistic Democracy. It has worked in America, under the restraint of Christian conscience. So far, it is the best form of government ever devised by the minds of men. But fewer and fewer people have the restraints of a Christian conscience. Our gods have become money and pleasure! We in America are selling our souls for profit and thrills. If earth has no future, other than the money-mad, sin-crazed society in which we live today, then we had better pray for the return of Christ and his kingdom to come on earth! But, praise the Lord, there is a better age coming! An age ruled over by the King of kings and the Lord of lords! By pure reason the early Greek philosophers saw the perfect government. They said, "Government by the wisest, purest and best men is the best government. **************************** Government by one perfect man would be the perfect government. But he would have to be a god, and we know that this is impossible." Him of whom the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, is now available as that one perfect man! The prophets promised, "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulders." (Isaiah 9:6) And again, "The kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever." (Rev. 11:15) At that time the earth shall have a new capital - Jerusalem - and a new king, the Son of God from heaven! III. THE CHRISTLIKE POPULACE: MEN REGENERATED The prime need of that day is a new people for the new government. Will we be among those new people? The most evident fact of today's society is the failure of unregenerate humanity. Dr. Edmund Dwight Coker, an eminent political scientist, said in a lecture at Ohio State 117 University in 1945, "Every scheme for Utopia ever devised by the mind of man has been spoiled by that ugly, uncontrollable factor called "human nature." Today our leaders are saying, "Man must change, or he will destroy himself from the face of the earth." The scientist, Steinmets, said, "Man's next mutation will be spiritual." He was almost 2000 years behind the times! That final mutation has already started. The first to experience it was a-little band of people in an upper room on a day called Pentecost, about the year of 30 A.D. Is such a transformation in human nature needed? The Russian Communists are puzzled. They do not understand why the Russian people, living in what they consider a virtual Utopia, should keep on being selfish, getting drunk, committing suicide. High on the agenda of Communist leaders meetings now is the subject of "how to develop new Russian leaders for the New Russia." Yes, the need is clear! Apart from human transformation, which we know can only come through the work of God's Holy Spirit in the new birth, man is headed for sure and certain self-destruction! The only hope is in what a few people, who are willing to submit themselves for the experiment, have undergone right here on earth. Jesus said it plainly! "Ye must be born again!" The hope of mankind to be part of that coming Kingdom of God lies alone in the regeneration of human nature by the power of God! What happens when a person is really born again? God's word says, "If any man be in Christ he is a new creation. Old things are passed away for him. Look! Everything becomes new." (II Cor.5:17) Again the Bible says, "Don't be conformed (molded to fit) this world, but be transformed (made over completely) by the renewing of (making new) your mind---" (Rom 12:2) In a class in political theory I was asked to tell the difference in major political systems. I used a homely illustration, saying, "On the farm as a boy, we used to raise pigs. We had some old-fashioned Capitalist pigs. They would get in the feed-trough with all four feet and try to keep the other pigs out. Some were Socialist pigs. They would move over and let the other pigs share the swill. We had no Communist pigs for none of ours said, "You'll eat our brand of slop or we will kill you.. A young woman in the class was a member of the Young Communist League. She said, with a sneer, "I suppose you Christians would make angels out of the pigs." I replied "I thank you for the thought. You are not far wrong." What kind of men will populate the New Earth? Transformed men! Men like Augustine, Savonarola, Jan Huss, Martin Luther, Calvin, John Knox, John Wesley, William Otterbein, Billy Sunday, Billy Graham. People like many of you. People who have become new creatures in Christ Jesus. There are at least a dozen problems with us today which, if left unsolved, will bring an end to civilization; or even of people on earth. They are problems which we cannot or will not solve. It seems to me that the only way they will be solved will be with the return of Christ. This is the belief of much of the Christian world today. In the first chapter and the 11th verse of the Gospel of Luke we have this promise given to those who saw Jesus ascend into heaven, "This same Jesus, which you see going up into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go." With his return we will have the reign of Christ, and our prayer will be answered, "Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." 118 But each of us must choose whether we will be a part of that wonderful age. We must make up our minds whether the wealth and pleasures of this world are more important to us than being alive in that coming blessed day. How will you choose? Will you take Jesus to be your Savior now? Today? **************************** These messages were brought with a fourfold purpose: 1. That our church might better understand Christianity's greatest enemy and rival today, Mandan Communism. 2. That we might see clearly that Capitalism is not identical with Christianity, but that in reality it too is a rival. 3. That we might know that Jesus is coming again! 4. Above all, they were given in the hope that people in the church and out of it accept Jesus as their personal Savior. 119 Most of the people living in Florida have heard of, or visited the small town of Cassadega located near the center of the state. Occasionally some columnist will write an interesting article about the place and its inhabitants, which seem to have been drawn together by their mutual beliefs concerning spirits. Troy preached this sermon at the St. Andrew's United Methodist Church in Winter Park Florida, on Dec. 14, 1969. Everyone was interested in the subject. CASSADEGA CHALLENGE (Text--I Timothy 4:1) 'Now the Holy Spirit says clearly that, in the latter times, some shall abandon the true faith, obeying lying spirits and the teachings of demons." It is usually in times of crises or uncertainty that people turn to the occult and magic for help. During and right after World Wars I and H and during the Great Depression of the 1930 interest was especially high. Now in these "latter times" that interest seems to be resurrecting. I believe this is due to our times of confusion and unbelief. People have turned more and more to consulting mediums and fortune tellers, astrology and ouija boards. A friend of mine who has done considerable research in this subject says that spiritualism is 95% parlor magic and 5% straight from the devil. It is one of today's biggest religious rackets and, along with astrology, bleeds millions from the pockets of gullible people. The Bible, God's word, speaks plainly about this kind of practice. In our text today it is called "seducing spirits." I. SEDUCING SPIRITS When we study God's word we find that the term "familiar spirit" is used 16 times in the Bible. It is always pictured in an unfavorable light. Davis Bible Dictionary says that the term means, "Mediums claiming ability to talk with the spirits of the dead." A standard dictionary says, "A necromancer. One who foretells the future by talking to the dead." It is significant that it is associated in the Bible in one place with ventriloquism and in others with demon possession. Jesus was accused by his enemies of having a "familiar spirit or demon." (Matt. 12:24, John 8:48) We can see plainly that Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is openly opposed to all such practices. It is plainly apostasy from God to Satan, "the god of this age." If they claim help from supernatural sources, this is the God who helps them! In Lev. 19:31 the scripture tells us not to even look in their direction. This is the very first reference to mediums in the Bible. In Acts 13:6-10 it tells of one who called himself "BarJesus (son of Jesus), a sorcerer or medium. He is called a "false prophet." He was stricken blind by the apostle Paul for opposing the gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Paul called him "Thou child of the Devil, thou enemy of righteousness." In Old Testament times the punishment for this was death by stoning. This punishment applied not only for mediums but for those who consulted them. "The soul that turneth after those who have a familiar spirit shall be put to death. Lev. 20:6-9, 27. You can believe that those people should be glad that we live under New Testament days of grace! II. SAUL AND THE SORCERER An interesting story is recorded in I Samuel the 28th chapter. King Saul of Israel had already decreed death to all spirit mediums in the land Yet he called a servant and ordered him to find him a medium because he said, "God refuses to hear me or answer 120 me." Israel's enemies, the Philistines, were in position ready to attack. Saul was deathly afraid! He disguised himself and went to a place called Endor, to consul a medium. Swearing that she would come to no harm he asked her to bring up the spirit of Samuel. She may have planned to bring up a demon, who would pose as Samuel. When Samuel appeared she was in mortal fear. God, not the medium, raised up Samuel. In the consultation which followed Samuel said "why have you disturbed my rest?" Saul replied "The Philistines are ready to attack! God has left me, He won't answer me." Samuel then told him, "You will lose the battle and tomorrow you and your sons will be killed." He told him that God would give his kingdom to his servant, David. Saul's consultation with the medium ended in death for him and his sons. III. SEDUCING LIES vs SCRIPTURAL TRUTH "Spiritualist" is really a misleading term for these people. Their practice is spiritism." The false teaching of some of the leaders of this group are many. They teach that "God is impersonal; that to say that the Bible is inspired is a gross outrage; that Christ was just a medium of high order; that the teachings of the spirits is an advance over Christianity." They also say that Jesus never claimed to be God in the flesh. How would we interpret John 14:9 where Jesus says, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father," if this were true. The spiritists teach that, 'There are many spirits-but no Holy Spirit" That "The Holy Spirit is not personal." Jesus himself says as recorded in John 14:26, "when He, the spirit of truth is come, He will teach you all things." One of their teachings state, "There is no atoning value in the death of Jesus Christ." God's word says, "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin." (I John 1:7) Here are some more of their blasphemies: "Man is his own savior." "There is no devil, no bell, no resurrection and no judgment." "You can talk to your dead loved ones." The truth is that our saved loved ones are "dead in Christ," "Asleep in Jesus." (I Thess, 4;16; 4:14) They shall arise only at our Lord's call! (I Thess. 4:16) In the story of the rich man and Lazarus, Jesus says that the rich man begged for Lazarus to be sent back from the dead to warn his brothers, but this was impossible. (Luke 16:26) The mediums say that the spirits float in space. The Bible says that the spirits of our saved loved ones are "in Paradise--with Christ, which is far better than being in this world (Luke 23:43; II Cor. 12:4; Phil. 1:23) On the other hand the Christ rejecting sinner, who refuses God's free grace are in Hades, awaiting the day of judgment and their condemnation to the lake of fire. We see then that God and his word, the Bible, are totally against the work of spirit mediums. They do not accept the Bible as the word of God! Their so-called "church" is a false church, and is therefore a "church of Satan." In these uncertain days the only safe place to be is to be in Jesus! The only place to go for spiritual truth is to the Bible, the word of God. The only true church is the assembly of born- again Christians; the household of faith; the family of God; the body of Christ. Will you now repent of your sins, believe in Jesus' atoning blood and receive him as Lord into your life to become your Savior? 121 COURAGE FOR THE COMING CRISIS This sermon could have been a logical fifth one in the series on communism. March 8, 1970-St. Andrews United Methodist Church-Winter Park, FL. Text: "And they overcame him by the blood of the Iamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death." (Revelation 12:11) The church in America has had it too easy. We have developed a generation of soft, mildmannered, respectable Sunday morning sermon tasters. Our Christianity has become a kind of "Churchanity." It is something we do on Sunday mornings, instead of a way to live every day of the week Have we had it too easy? Some even say, "We have had it, period!" One thing is sure! The days of "Pollyanna Progressivism" are over. The times that try men's souls are upon us! We must now begin to teach our young people "Spiritual Survival Methods. "In the jungle of sin, secularism, socialism and sex which surround us, this is imperative! Some of our youth sitting here today will not survive. Our very own boys and girls will become victims of unbelief and eternal loss! What can we do about this? Can we find help in the text for today? Let's try. I. THEIR ARMOR IS OUR ARMOR - IT IS IN THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB. What is the nature of this armor? The purpose of armor is to cover the weak spots; to protect us where we are vulnerable. Whether we are willing to admit it or not, we all know what our weak spots are. We all know the areas where we are most likely to sin. How Satan uses our weaknesses! If we ever needed a protective covering it is in those vulnerable, easy to pierce spots. The Old Testament had a remedy for guiltiness. It was a priest, a lamb and a knife. A remedy? Yes, for that ancient offering points a finger of hope to the "Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" The cross and its burden of death are an eternal reality! Yes, this is a strange armor! What is its power? The proof of the strength of that armor is that it will stand against Satan's "guns of accusation." In the 10th verse of this chapter a loud voice is heard speaking from heaven saying, "The accuser of our brethren is cast down." If we go to the book of Job we will find our accuser named. (Job 1:9-11) It is Satan himself? To cause to faint the weakest saint, the demons all engage. To stem the flood of Jesus blood, all Hell is in a rage! See Satan stand at God's right hand, accuser of us all. Opponents of the Son, whose love redeemed us from the fall. "Your sins," he cries, The Blood replies, "There is no sin!" He screams, 'he past," and to the last, the Blood above his din, Speaks out alone, there on the throne, "There is no past." 'Til Satan, prone, must leave alone and we are free at last. Now we know what the words "The speaking blood" mean in the old hymn, "The Cleansing Stream." His blood is an unfailing armor against "all the fiery darts of the wicked one!" "And they overcame him, (meaning Satan) by the blood of the Iamb." If we want to survive, along with our children, in this jungle of sin, this is the way. 122 II. THEIR WEAPON IS OURS - IT IS "THE WORD OF THEIR TESTIMONY." And how can the "word" be a weapon? You must admit that words are the chief weapon of the "cold war" between the United States and the Soviet Union today. "Radio Free Europe" is all the proof of that we need It is the word of preaching which gives victory over unbelief. "It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." (I Cor. 1:21) Some of us need to be reminded that it is not the preaching that saves the sinner, but it is the "word" of confession - I believe -that brings to each of us the victory of salvation! It was the word of God that lifted the universe out of nothing! "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." (Heb. 11:3) It is "The word out of the mouth of the Son of God" which will be that great final weapon, the two-edged sword of ultimate victory. (Troy either did not finish typing this sermon or the rest of k was lost. All of this was crowded on one sheet of typing paper in a loose leaf notebook, along with the rest of the sermons in this book) 123 THE ONE TRUE CHURCH (Sermon delivered May 24, 1970, at St. Andrews United Methodist Church, Winter Park, Florida.) Text: "That they may be one - in us." John 17:21 "That ye may have fellowship with us," I John 1:3. INTRODUCTION The Devil has a new trick--he is trying to destroy our faith in words! A confused young seminary student recently said to me, "A professor says that truth is a very different thing for each person. He said that it is all a matter of "Your frame of reference." He used a big word for it--semantics. But how can we learn about the word of God unless we use words? Let's take a word this morning-- the word "fellowship," meaning the experiencing of spiritual joy together. It is a translation of the Greek word, "koinonia." Now all of us who have had this experience know what it means. Surely if we all fall into the lake, we all know it, we all feel it, and we all know exactly what we mean when we talk about it. It is this "fellowship of kindred minds" which is true Christian unity. It is the joy of knowing and loving the Lord Jesus together. It is our common experience of the love of Christ--the Holy Spirit! I. IS THIS FELLOWSHIP IMPORTANT? It is a difficult thing for us to realize--especially Americans. We are proud of our splendid "isolation!" We boast of our "independence." Many times we fall out with our fellowChristians. We refuse to go and be reconciled to "our brother." (Matt. 5:24) We go out and start a new congregation or a new denomination. I once talked to a minister who had fallen out with the Wesleyan Methodist and had started a new group he called the Reformed Wesleyan Methodist Church. When I asked him if he could not have found a group with which he agreed, he replied, 'No sir, Brother! We've got the truth!" In my home state a man by the name of "Jackson" became convinced that denominationalism was a sin. He began to preach this in his home. His followers increased and he moved to a schoolhouse for his meetings. Later he moved into other communities and started groups who believed as he did. Then the neighbors needed a name to distinguish these people and they called them "Jacksonites." Thus, this man who preached against denominations, calling them sinful, was guilty of starting another denomination. The word "denomination" means "a name that distinguishes." We will have them in spite of all! Every one of us belongs to a denomination, even if it is "The Association of Atheists." But although denominations are not sinful in themselves, most are guilty of sin! Some of these sins ought to concern us deeply. Let's look at three of the worst! (1) INSTITUTIONALISM -The promotion of our congregation, our group, at the expense of the Kingdom of God. These often are "Madison Avenue" techniques to promote their attendance, membership or finances. They are in jealous competition with other local churches, denominations , or even other congregations of the same group. (2) ECCLESIOLATRY--The worship of a church or denomination instead of God. This is a form of idolatry. It exalts the body instead of the head--Christ. It promotes the organization instead of the organism. People who are guilty of this usually declare that their group is the only one which will be saved. 124 (3) THE PERSONALITY CULT-This is the sin that the Dr. Billy Graham must strive so hard to avoid. Some popular preachers yield to the temptation to build around themselves, instead of around Christ. like Diotrephes (III John 9) who "loved to have the preeminence among them," they become enamored with their ability to lead, or to preach, and so mislead many. They forget that the Word of God says, "Christ, who alone shall have the preeminence!" (Col. 1:15) I once knew such a person. He was a gifted speaker and his wife was overly ambitious for him. He was promoted too rapidly and at age 43 had become pastor of one of the largest churches in his conference. He saw no place to go, except down and his ego would not permit that. He decided to take all his flock who would go and build a tabernacle just four blocks from the last church he had served. Within a year he was dead and the tabernacle was then used for a warehouse! It is significant that he named the tabernacle for himself! THE ECUMENICAL MOVEMENT-Coming partly as a reaction to these "sins" is the so called ecumenical movement. The term itself is not a wholesome one, theologically speaking. Its root meaning is "the whole wide world" Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world." To many it is a genuine protest against the scandal of divisions in the face of our Lord's prayer in John 17, "that they all may be one." In these days of growing Communism part of this background is fear. It is part of the "safety in numbers" idea. However, if the thought is to create an ecclesiastical cadaver bigger than the Communist robot, a dead monster is harmless. The word "Ambition" cannot be left out in explaining the idea of "Ecumenism." Some of its leaders envision "One great World Wide Institution." Shades of the Beast and the false Prophet!! III. WHAT DOES TRUE FELLOWSHIP IMPLY? (I John 1:3) What really is our Lord's concern when he prays this prayer; when five tines in four short verses he repeats this thought in the midst of his agony in the Garden? What is his true desire? It is so easy for us to forget that conditioning clause, "One as we are one." This means the closest possible spiritual. sympathetic, relationship. Here is no yearning for organizational solidarity and unity! But rather spiritual union in organic oneness! Not secular political association, but rather sacred spiritual plasma! "Unless our union is spiritual, it is spurious," says Dr. E. Stanley Jones. This is the deeper meaning of our text "that they all may be one, as we are one." This spiritual union is not intended as an end in itself, but as a means of evangelism. It is in order "that the world may believe that you sent me, and that you, Father, love them." Only the bond of love can make these living stones into the one new temple in the Lord. (Eph. 2:21) This is the only way that the world will be convinced that Jesus is the "Savior sent from God." Hear him say it itself in John 17:21. "That they all may be one,-that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." Jesus did not pray for a union that ignores heresy, either in doctrine or conduct. He was not praying for a union of expediency or convenience. He was not asking for a union of humanistic good- will, nor for a union of fear against a common foe. He was rather pleading for a Christ-centered , Holy Spirit oneness, "as we are one." This kind of unity can exist without organizational union,-- indeed it must, or there is no hope! Our Lord wept in Gethsemane for one spiritual body! 125 Jesus wants above everything "that the world may believe." The reason it does not believe is that his followers do not love one another. I have experienced this "koinonia" this holy fellowship with Roman Catholics when we shared our mutual love for the Lord Jesus. I have felt the same spirit cut in two in a small group of ministers of the same denomination, by selfishness, jealousy or ambition! Brethren, Jesus "sweat as it were great drops of blood" as he prayed for our spirits to be one in holy love! Will it ever be? YES-- TO THE DEGREE THAT WE SURRENDER OUR WILLS TO THE HOLY SPIRIT! WILL YOU MAKE THAT SURRENDER NOW? 126 TWO WRONG WAYS AND A RIGHT WAY St. Andrews United Methodist Church, Winter Park Florida -- November 8, 1970. Occasionally you will hear someone say, 'I guess I know my own mind" Most of us think we do, but we don't always know it. We never know all of it! In the last two Sundays we have seen how we excuse ourselves by giving the wrong reasons for our actions. We call this rationalization. We pointed out how we see our own faults in others without being aware that they are our faults. Today our Lord wants us to know how we often push down any bad thoughts or experiences we may have into the limbo of our sub-conscious minds and try to forget them. This trait is called repression by those who study the human mind, This is just another way our minds and emotions, called our hearts in the Bible will betray us. We do this by: I. REPRESSION OR REJECTING THE UNPLEASANT The dictionary tells us that those words mean, 'To conceal things in the subconscious mind." Things happen to us which are bad, unpleasant or painful - or things of which we are ashamed. The memory of them brings us mental pain or anguish. The result often is that we deliberately try to forget them. In other words we choose not to remember them! We push them down into our metal garbage cans the sub-conscious. We are not then really conscious of it, but our subconscious minds do not forget - not ever! A minister tells about a man who occasionally broke out with hives. After much questioning and study it was found that this happened every time his mother-in-law came for a visit. He secretly disliked her so much that it caused this affliction. King David, when the Prophet Nathan came to him and preached a private sermon to him, about a rich man who stole a poor man's lamb, was very indignant. David cried out for justice for the poor man. I believe that he knew in his heart that the message was for him before Nathan proclaimed, "Thou art the man." The message hit home, but he chose in his sub-conscious mind not to listen! After the wrong was laid squarely on his shoulders David faced himself with his sin! Some cynic has said that, "Most clear consciences were due to faulty memories." This is not true! Conscience does not forget. We just shove it down into our mental garbage cans, our sub-conscious, and try to forget it. King David, in his distress, "Remembered God and was troubled." (Psalms 77:3) II. REFUSING TO FACE THE PAST - RESISTING Very often the unconscious sets a guard at the door of the conscious. Here we must compare the sub-conscious to a garbage can. Here we note that having hidden some bad or unpleasant thing there, we deliberately sit on the lid. The mean trick of our minds here is that we just as often do not realize what we have done. Doctors can sometimes make us "face the music" by the use of drugs or by hypnosis, even though our conscious minds have rejected the whole experience! This repression does not in any way get rid of it. It is still there in our mental garbage ans! It usually shows up in mental disorder, or in physical discomfort, such as hives. Discomfort is apparent when someone else brings up the subject; there is a certain uneasiness! Why do some people squirm in the pews when the pastor is preaching along certain lines. When someone gets too near the nest of a ground-nesting mother bird she will often hobble away and pretend she has a broken leg or wing, to draw them away from her nest. 127 Very often people, in this matter of resistance, will come up squarely against God's psychiatry. Saul of Tarsus, before he became Paul the apostle, tried to hide his own deep need behind a zeal of Jewish orthodoxy. (Acts 8:3) The Bible says of him, "He made havoc of the church." In spite of the good they do, we are made to wonder if this explains the zeal of men like Carl McIntire and Billy J. Hargis! Many times a conviction of our own need in the sub-conscious makes us very critical of the church or of the preacher. Jesus explained it this way, "Men love darkness rather than light bemuse their deeds are evil." (John 3:19) III. THE REMEDY FOR THE CONDITION - REPENTANCE First of all, like other problems mentioned in previous messages, this one requires absolute self-honesty! We must take the lid off those mental garbage cans Only if we are determined to find out the truth about ourselves can we do this! And then only by the help of the word and the Spirit of God. Truly "the word of God is ---a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Heb. 4:12) "The Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God." (I Cor. 2:10) In Psalms 90:8 David cries out, "Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, and our secret sins in the light of thy countenance." Sometimes we may need the help of a counselor to face our need. "Open confession" is indeed good for the soul! The way out is by self-honesty and self-emptying - never by selfexcuse! Let the cry of our hearts be, "Search me, O God, and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalms 139:23) When we discover our mental garbage cans the only way they can be emptied is by repentance. For not only is the visible life changed by true repentance, but the inner self is transformed also! The Greek word translated "repentance" is "metanoia." This means "to have another mind - a completely new mind." When we "come clean" with God he gives us a new mind Even the subconscious mind is transformed! By repentance, plus faith, we come into Christ! When we are truly "in Christ" everything changes for us. "If any man be in Christ he is a new creation. Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (II Cor. 5:17) Even the old mind is gone, with its underworld, - our mental garbage cans. A WRONG AND A RIGHT BURIAL PLACE The right place to bury your fears, your hang-ups, your hates, your failures, your sins is never in the subconscious! If you try to bury them there they will only come back to haunt you in a case of nerves or illnesses or breakdowns. The right place to bury your past is under the blo2-4 of Jesus Christ. He paid the full price to remove your guilt and fear! If you a,-e to the cross of Christ and there lay down your sins, he has promised that God 'ui'l remember them against you no more forever." (Jer. 31:34) To try to put your past down into the "Mental Garbage Can" of your own forgetfulness, is but to put them in the Devil's Graveyard! They will not stay buried there! Only in "The sea of God's forgetfulness" will they be forever removed! "The dying thief rejoiced to see - That fountain in his day; And there may 1, though vile as he, - wash all my sins away!" 128 WHEN OUR MINDS LIE TO OUR SOULS St. Andrews United Methodist Church, Winter Park, Florida, January 17, 1971. Text: "The word of God is---a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Hebrews 4:12 Today we will look at some of the things the Bible tells us about our minds - perhaps some things we would rather not learn. The Bible is the first and best book on psychology ever written. The text this morning tells why. Jesus, God's son, knew what was in man. (John 2:25) In the Old Testament book of I Samuel, in the 16th chapter and the 2nd verse we learn, "That the Lord looketh upon the heart." The word of God exposes our human nature in order to drive us to seek His divine nature. It shows up our weaknesses that we might turn to his strength. Among other truths, it reveals that the mind of man is basically dishonest. THE RARITY OF SELF-HONESTY In Luke 10:25-29 Jesus meets a young "expert" in Jewish law, who asks the way into eternal life. Jesus asks him a question in return, "What does the law say?" The young man then quotes the greatest of all commandments, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, strength and mind, and thy neighbor as thyself." Jesus said, "Do this and you will live." Then the young man tries to do what all of us try to do, except when Jesus convinces us o£ a better way! "He, seeking to justify himself, said, 'Who is my neighbor?" This young man was fortunate, in that his attitude was known and open. Ours are not always so. We have a self-deception that goes deeper - even into the sub-conscious mind! Often, even when we try to be honest, our minds will lie to our souls! Self honesty is one of the most difficult things we try to do. The man named Nicodemus in the third chapter of the Gospel of John instead of facing his own need wanted to talk about theology. Jesus told him to look at his own heart. "You need to be born again," Jesus told him. The woman of Samaria, in John 4:5-26, wanted to change the subject and talk about the proper place to worship. Jesus the same as said to her, "Examine your low morals. You're living with a man who is not your husband. You need the water of life! You are spiritually dead" David had the courage to fight the giant, Goliath, but couldn't face up to his own guilt in committing adultery with Bath-Sheba and planning the death of her husband God's man, Nathan, had to openly accuse him saying, "You are the man I mean!" before David would face his sin and be honest with himself. Saul of Tarsus had to be stricken blind, on the way to do the Devil's errand, before he would stop to examine his own pharisaical self-righteous heart and life. The 9th chapter tells us this story. Indeed, self-honesty is a rare and difficult thing. 129 THE REASONS FOR SELF-JUSTIFICATION First of all, after we have done something we feel that we have to defend our own actions. Jesus said that in the Day of Judgment, "Many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name cast out demons?' Then I will profess unto them, I never knew you." These men will certainly be sincere men! But the sad thing will be that they never knew Jesus. They were successful in thinking that profession was as good as possession! Jesus will tell them, "You knew my name, but you never knew me." The alcoholic will give you many reasons as to why he drinks, but he will never give you the right one because he is lying to himself'. The unfaithful husband will give the excuse, "My wife doesn't understand me!" That excuse is as old as the human race! If the pastor speaks to a parishioner about his social drinking, he will give him a dozen reason why it is OX, but they are all weak ones. Yes, we all feel that we must defend our actions. It does not matter that they are illogical or how wrong they may be! Closely related to the defense of our own actions is the desire to conceal our own faults. Often we get a glimpse of what kind of person we really are, and we don't like what we see! The urge to defend our own actions is a strong one! But, again, God says, "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked" (Jet. 17:9) The desire to appear good in our own eyes is so strong that a man will often lie, even to himself, about his own motives! "Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord pondereth the heart." (Prov. 21:2) God knows the real reason for our actions. THE RATIONALIZING OF SELF-EXCUSES Psychologists have a new term for an old trick! They call such attempts to excuse ourselves for our sins and errors rationalizing. Authorities say that such devious thinking must always ignore the real reasons for our actions. They further point out that this is "reason surrendered to wishful thinking, the process of hiding wrong actions behind accepted motives; an exercise in self-deception." Self-excuse always involves some very neat tricks at twisting the truth! We often hear, "I did it, but I had good reasons," or "my motives were good" "I couldn't help myself," or "He had it coming to him!" People will compromise truth in order to gain approval of others or to escape the consequences of our own actions. This is when the mind lies to the soul, and the soul accepts the lie. At least it does so on the surface. There is every indication that deep in our hearts we know when we are doing wrong, but our attempts at selfdeception is the cause of much mental illness and most spiritual disease. WHAT IS THE REMEDY FOR THIS CONDITION? The only hope is through Divine Investigation. This involves five steps. 1. We must be merciless with ourselves. and die out both the fault and the excuse. 2. Seek and find the mercy of God in forgiveness through the blood of Jesus Christ. 3. If we have blamed others confess openly, and ask pardon of them. 4. Seek with all your hearts the complete unselfishness of a surrendered life. 5. Seek with all your heart the complete unselfishness of the surrendered life. 130 These are the steps in "Divine Investigation." We must never forget that our Lord Jesus knows what is in man. "There is nothing hid that shall not be revealed!" It must come out now or in the judgment. Then it will be too late to seek forgiveness. Come every soul by sin oppressed there's merry with the Lord, And he will surely give you rest, by trusting in his word. Only trust him; Only trust him; Only trust him now. He will save you; He will save you; He will save you now. 131 LOOKING IN THE WRONG MIRROR St. Andrews United Methodist Church, Winter Park, Florida, January 24, 1971. Text: "When you sit in judgment against someone else, you condemn yourself." (Romans 2:1) The man of God has a threefold duty. First: To reach the lost man with the good news that God has a way for his salvation. Second: To comfort the troubled and concerned. Third: To stir the sleepy saints that they grow and go and glow! It is in this third area that we have labored the last three Sundays. Last week we were concerned with self-examination. We discussed the matter of "rationalizing" - excusing ourselves for our wrong actions. Today we will try to see what the Bible has to say about another trick of our minds and it is a mean trick! Psychologists call it "projecting." It is the way we tend to blame others for our faults and to see our own weaknesses in the lives of others. The meanness in this trick of our minds is the way we do it without being conscious of it! A professor in Asbury College once defined "projecting" as "the process of unknowingly attributing our traits and attitudes to others." Unwilling to look at the faults in our own souls, we believe that we see them in others. This is a very common thing, occurring every day, in every area of life. Most of us start very early to see ourselves mirrored in the lives of others. The Bible teaching concerning this is summed up in the word translated "judging." The term "to judge" (Greek-krino) means the process of forming and expressing an opinion of others; especially without good, firm evidence of its truth. This is the reason for most cases of jealousy. The jealous person reasons, "I know they did wrong." The reason he or she is so sure of this is because that is what they would have done under the same circumstances. This is not spoken or even realized by the jealous person, unless he or she has developed the habit of extreme self-honesty. Someone sent me a cartoon strip showing a young couple on the porch and the father appearing at frequent intervals. It ends by the father saying, "Sure I was young once myself'. Why do you think I keep coming out here to check on you." The problem here is that we keep confusing the word "judge" with courtroom language. The judge at the trial hears all the evidence and then passes judgment. But the Bible means to form an opinion without evidence, The text this morning is saying, "How else can you understand someone else's act except by your own motives? When you pass such an opinion you are only describing your own guilty thoughts. You are condemning your own sin! Don't judge or you will be judged. (Matthew 7:1) II. LET'S LOOK AT SOME EXAMPLES OF ITS WORKING. First: Let us see how it works in modem life. Dr. Mavis, of Asbury College, gives us several examples of this. 1. The selfish man sees his own grasping spirit reflected in his associates in an exaggerated form. He'll see them as extremely stingy. 2. The vain person will magnify the vanity of others. 132 3. The ambitious minister will see others ministers as striving for the leading church or to be elevated to a higher position in his conference or denomination. 4. The drinking man, feeling guilt for his alcoholic compulsion, will blame others or society as a whole, or he will excuse himself by saying, "Everybody drinks a lot these days." etc. 5. The dishonest man, feeling guilty about his dishonesty, may say, "You can't trust anybody these days." (Oh Boy, Troy! I have been guilty of saying this! Your loving wife. 'E.T.B.') 6. The sexually immoral person, even though he may be conscience stricken, sees everyone as indulging in this sin. 7. Then there is the age-old practice of blaming the Devil. This is clearly reflected in the first sin of the human race. "The serpent beguiled me and I did eat" (Genesis 3:13) Now let's look at some examples given in the Bible. Why did Jacob run from Esau? He reasoned, "Esau has murder in his heart. At least, that is how I would feel if I were in his place." That is why he had to wrestle with God by the brook, Peniel. (Genesis: 27:41-45 and 32:24-32) Why did Mary and Joseph, returning to Galilee from Jerusalem, go a whole day's journey supposing that Jesus was in the crowd? Because that is the way they would have acted in the same circumstances. (Luke 2:41-50) Why did the jailer at Philippi suppose that the prisoners had tied, when he found the prison doors open and was on the verge of killing himself? Simply because that is what he would have done under the circumstances. (Acts: 16:25-34) But in spite of our weaknesses, the mirror of someone else's life simply cannot reflect our conduct or reactions! If we try to see ourselves in others, what we behold will be a twisted, perverted image of ourselves! The trouble is that we are looking in the wrong mirror! There is only one reliable way of seeing ourselves as God sees us, and that is by looking into the word of God! James in the first chapter, and the 22nd to the 24th verses of his epistle says, "But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, ---For if any man be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man beholding his natural face in a glass---he straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was." The Bible is the only true mirror of our ego, our true inner self. Jesus gives us the cure for judging. He says plainly, "You fraud! Take the plank out of your own eye first, then you may be able to see to take the speck out of your brother's eye." (Matt. 7:5) So self-examination, honestly done, is the first necessity. Then we must come to Christ for forgiveness, through his blood on the cross for the things that are wrong in our lives. Second Corinthians 13:5 says, "Examine your selves, --- put yourselves to the test. First John 1:9 tells us that, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." What a wonderful promise! But this will only happen if you use the right mirror, the word of God! 133 The following is a sermon Troy prepared after our retirement. He has the following note at the end of his manuscript. "From a sermon preached several times lately, but never written out until May 25, 1980." His sermons were never written out before he gave them, but preached from a brief outline on one side of a five and a half by eight and a half sheet of paper, but this typed copy was as near like it was preached as he could remember. WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THE CHURCH SUPPOSED TO DO (The Scripture for this sermon-study is John 4:31-38.) Text: Lift up your eyes and look on the fields, for they are ripe already to harvest. John 4:35. Jesus said the words of this text. It is important to remember when and where he said them. He had just led an immoral woman to have faith in Him. She had returned to her village to lead others to hear and believe in him. Meanwhile his disciples were concerned about food. They came saying, "Master, eat!" In my home town there was a Methodist Episcopal Church. The name was abbreviated to M. E. Local folks jokingly said the initials meant "meet and eat." A pastor was trying to reconcile two men who were angry at one another. One of the men said to the pastor, "That guy can go to hell for all I care." "Shocking," you say. Which is worse, to say it or to act it? Millions of church members, by their unconcern, are saying by their actions, "My neighbors can go to hell as far as I am concerned." Many of them are concerned with social action. Which is more important, their neighbors' earthly welfare or their eternal welfare? Let Jesus say-"What good does it do you to gain the whole world, if you lose your own soul?" Matthew 16:26. This brings us face to face with three questions. 1. WHY MUST THE CHURCH PUT EVANGELISM FIRST? People are lost unless they find the way in Christ. Every quietly frustrated life is whispering, "I'm lost." Every headline of crime or hate is shouting, "Lost." Every ragged hippie-type soul, destroying his life with drink, sex and drugs, is singing softly as he strums his guitar, "Lost! Lost!" Every alcoholic in home, bar or gutter is lisping, "Lost". Every church member who is trusting in false hopes or good works to save them are crying under their breath, "I'm lost!" Evangelist Dr. Ray Upson, standing at the door of Dayton, Ohio, First United Brethren Church, as the congregation filed out after his message asked each person as he shook hands, "Are you a Christian?" Just ahead of me was a tiny, gray-haired woman. When he questioned her she indignantly replied, "Why, Dr. Upson! I've been a member of this church since I was a little girl, and my father and mother were members of this church!" Dr. Upson said quietly, "I did not ask you if you were a church member. I asked if you were a Christian." She angrily turned on her heel and left the church. 2. ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE GOD WANTS PEOPLE TO BE SAVED. "As I live, saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked," Ezekiel 33:11. "God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." II Peter 3:9. God loves lost men! The Golden Text of the New Testament, John 3:16, 134 declares it! Calvary proves it! "God commends his love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8.) 3. GOD HAS A PURPOSE AND PLAN FOR EACH AND EVERY LIFE. God's purpose and plan is that all people live and work with Him forever. People are missing God's plan if they do not accept Jesus as Savior. The most precious thing in the world is a human soul. A disgusted youth said to the pastor. "These Christians make me sick! They say they have the greatest news in the world, but they don't tell it!" II. UPON WHOM DOES GOD DEPEND TO DO THE WORK OF EVANGELISM? A World War I poster, which I vividly remember from my boyhood, was resurrected again during World War II. The poster pictured Uncle Sam, in characteristic dress, looking directly at the viewer and pointing his finger. It was captioned, "Uncle Sam needs you!" Christian, the finger of God is pointing directly at each of us and he is saying, "I need you!" Why were you saved? Was it just to lead a good life and to eventually get to heaven? Well, the good life and heaven both demand that we serve God. What does serving God mean? Just imagine that you invite me to your house for a meal, which is unlikely in these days. But suppose that I sit at your table and help myself to the fried chicken, green beans, potatoes and gravy, com bread and dessert and you say to me, "What are you doing, pastor?" Suppose I reply, "Brother, I am helping you!" If you are honest you will say, "You're crazy! You are helping yourself!" Well, why in the world will people sit down in God's house and partake of spiritual food-to bread and wine, to prayer and the Holy Spirit's joy; then go out and never try to see that others come and also feast at God's table; then think that they are serving the Lord? They are not serving God. They are serving themselves! Praying, reading the Bible, going to church is serving the Lord by your example, but they are more activities which serve you and feed your own soul. You can serve the Lord even better by helping others to know Him. The best way to help others is to help them find Jesus. Besides this, there is just no one else on earth to do his work, except his children. An old retired minister stood up in a mid-week service and read Ephesians 4:8-10. He then said, "Our Lord Jesus has gone everywhere in the whole universe, except where we are expected to take him - into the hearts and homes of the unconverted and the unchurched. "How shall they believe in whom they have not heard? How shall they hear unless someone goes and tell them?' The unconcerned will not go to church today! The pastor could never get into all those homes! So unless you, the LAY PEOPLE of the congregation help in this task they hill never be saved and brought into the church. WHAT REWARD WILL YOU GET IF YOU DO GO AND TELL? We are all so selfish! We expect to get paid for what we do, even for God. Jesus answers us even before we ask! "He that reapeth receiveth wages---" "What wages?" you might ask. Well, there is JOY! How long has it been since you "Rejoiced in the Lord"? I realize that such joy is not quite "proper" today. I once heard a story of a little, old mountain woman who went to Dayton, Ohio, to visit her daughter. When Sunday came she wanted 135 to go to church and since she was a United Brethren, she wanted to go to a U. B. Church. Her daughter took her to the big "First United Brethren Church" in downtown Dayton. The little lady endured, for her, the extreme formality of the worship service. The pastor was warm-hearted and fervent in his preaching and when he said something that she recognized as true, she said a rather loud "Amen." An usher leaned over her and said, "Sh-h-sh," with a finger to his lips. Again the pastor said something that warmed her heart and she exclaimed, "Praise tha Lord." The usher shook her shoulder and commanded her to be quiet. For a while she was quiet, but then the pastor said something that really touched her heart and she cried, "Hallelujah!" This time the usher led her out into the nartthex and said, what's wrong with you anyhow? Can't you be quiet?" The tiny lady replied, "Why, there's nothing wrong with me! I've just got the old time religion!" "Well, you didn't get it here!" the usher said indignantly. Yes, joy will be a part of our payday. But, too many of us confuse Christianity with respectability t The pay is more than joy. It is a deeper fellowship with God and our fellow Christians. It means a closer walk with our Lord, power in prayer, a stronger faith and victorious Christian living! All these are a part of God's "Pay Day!" God freely gives if we freely serve Him and share the "Good News" with those who do not know Jesus. However, our reward is much more than wages here! Jesus adds to his promise. "And gathereth fruit unto eternal life." What does this mean? What else but that we joyfully recognize in the heavenlies all those we helped to lead to Christ. Paul called his converts "my dearly beloved, my joy and my crown." (Phip. 4:1) I believe with all my heart that this will be a part of our joyful reward in eternity, as we share His glory! Even in the Old Testament there is a strangely wonderful relationship between rejoicing and soul winning. Psalm 126:6 says, "He that goeth forth with weeping, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bearing his sheaves with him." In only one place in the Bible does it tell of Jesus being spiritually happy. When He sent "The Seventy" out to share the 'Good News" of the kingdom and they returned to tell of their victories, the scriptures tell us that "Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit" ONE MORE PRECIOUS PROMISE IS GIVEN US HERE. Jesus says, "--that he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together." You say that in our church some of the sowers may be dead before the coming of the reapers. Exactly! But they rejoice together! The saints in glory rejoice when souls are saved! My own mother sowed the seeds of my faith and she had been dead just nine years and one day on the date I was saved Jesus has told me that she knew it and was gloriously happy in the presence of the Lord the day I was saved. The scripture tells us, "There is joy in the presence of the angels over one sinner that repenteth." It doesn't say that the angels rejoice, but those in the presence of the angels rejoice. My Christian friends, if we want to make all heaven rejoice then we will try to be soul winners! 136 ADULTERY IS STILL A SIN St. Andrews United Methodist Church, ii inter Park, Florida, in 1971. Texts: "Thou shalt not commit adultery." (Exodus 20:14) "Fornication---let it not be once named among you," (Eph.5:3) Let us, right now, get rid of a lie which is almost commonly accepted, even by some who believe that they are Christians. It is this - if an evil is common and widely practiced it is no longer evil! This is a lie which popular opinion has caused to be accepted as true. Satan whispers, "It couldn't be so bad, since so many people do it and get by!" And such good people, too! They are not "good" people. They may be nice - compassionate -well liked -but in the case of adultery, and in God's sight, they are not good. They may not realize it but they are not getting by! 1. Let's first of all consider the meaning of adultery. Adultery is derived from a latin term, which means to make inferior, impure, etc. by adding a poor or improper substance which contaminates. It thus comes to mean to make cheap by changing or mixing the false with the true. The word adultery in English means the act of sexual unfaithfulness. Davis' Bible Dictionary says, "that as interpreted by our Lord in the Sermon On the Mount, it means all sexual impurity in thought, word and deed." (Matthew 5:27-28) Now let's look at some illustrations and associations. Specifically adultery is a profaning of the marriage vow, which clearly states: "Will you keep yourself to her/him only, so long as you both shall live?" This is a vow sacred and holy before God! In spite of this so called modern literature and most of the movies, picture adultery as being romantic and lovely! Any pastor knows the heartache and heartbreak and misery it causes, even in the lives of children. The picture painted by Satan is just not true! All the experience of mankind prove that adultery is a dirty, evil, guilty, defiling sin! The New Testament introduces a different term, one that is more inclusive. Jesus taught that fornication is wrong in the sight of God. He knew that a person who is promiscuous before marriage will be much more likely to be unfaithful after marriage. A friend of mine had a lady professor who advocated free love before marriage. My friend said openly in class, "If I were your husband I would watch you very carefully!" In less than a year from that time that woman was sued for divorce by her husband. The grounds? You've guessed it! Adultery! II. LET'S NOW ADMIT THAT ADULTERY IS VERY COMMON TODAY And I do not mean the adultery which is the result of two people becoming enamored one of another. God knows this is much too common. No, I am referring to deliberate, planned sex, purely for pleasure, with someone else's mate. Very often in these days of godlessness it is done with the consent of the spouse, usually to feel less guilty about their own unfaithfulness. I am not talking about love. The Bible has a whole set of rules for that! No, I am talking about the practice of exchanging wives; of the notorious, hell-inspired "Key Clubs" - of the practice of men having a "kept woman" etc. Such people are not only adulterers, but 137 are also liars, cheats and thieves! They must lie to protect themselves, cheat on their own mates and steal affections that rightly belongs to someone else. Such people are making a frontal attack upon the American home! We know that, not only the church, but also the nation cannot exist without good, strong, loving homes! Furthermore, I accuse and indict the so-called New Youth Movement -the group that says, "Only social problems count. Sex is a private matter between individuals. It is our business!" This group is also launching an attack upon the American home, and thus upon our churches and our nation! These words of condemnation are often heard, "He/she broke up my home!" It should be no surprise to us that alcohol plays a major factor in all this. After a few drinks together people will do things they never would have permitted themselves to do otherwise! Now we must face up to the matter of legalized adultery - the case of modem divorce. In 80% of the cases this is only what someone has labeled serial polygamy. Instead of prayerfully seeking God's way in marriage difficulties, most couples just take the easy way out, and defy the laws of God. Jesus gives us only one ground for divorce, and that is adultery! Most people use others as an excuse to turn to a way of life that is not right in God's eyes. This way is not even respectable when viewed in true Christian perspective. The new Testament analysis of sexual sin clearly points to purpose and motive. The words of Jesus are: "Whoever looks on a woman to lust after her, has committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matt. 5:28) 1 think the emphasis here should be placed on the interpretation of the word, lust." It would be almost impossible for the average, virile man to control his every thought along this line. But I believe thoughts become lust when he entertains and nourishes those thoughts. It is important that all attitudes of thoughts, words and even dress, which create wrong desires, are to be shunned! How happy we all should be that the mini-skirt is going out! (They are back with a vengeance in 1992! E.T.B.) We must inevitably conclude that in Jesus' analysis of sex sin, all those people who go to "Topless Bars" and restaurants, attend X-rated movies or read pornographic literature, study pornographic pictures, are guilty of adultery or fornication! Sometimes the clergy is involved in this! It is a blow to the entire Christian Church when this becomes public and it happens more than we like to admit. It is said of one pastor and his wife that, "They love a dirty joke." They don't joke about Holy Communion, so why should they joke about sex, which is also sacred? III. But now we come to the part that we are happy to tell! There is merry and forgiveness for adulterers; a cure for sex sinners. This sin, too, is covered by the blood of Jesus! It is as freely covered by Christ as the sin of lying, swearing or violating any of the other ten commandments! Dr. Clovis Chappell tells of a young woman who left a suicide note, after discovering that she would have a child out of wedlock and that she was suffering from a venereal disease. "The note said, I thought the Ten Commandments were just silly rules, but I have found that 'The wages of sin is death." If she had only known the scriptures better she might not have been in such despair! In the first chapter and the 7th verse of the first epistle of John we read, "The blood of Jesus Christ, His (God's) son cleanses us from all sin!" 138 Not only is the sin covered but the sinner can be converted! I once counseled a couple who had both been guilty of adultery. They both received Christ into their hearts and now live in complete trust of one another. Under the grace of God divorce is permitted under these circumstances, but how much better is forgiveness! This is God's way of solving the problem! "But God who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath made us alive together with Christ,--By grace you are saved, through faith,"---(Eph. 2:4-5, 8) To the woman "taken in the very act of adultery," Jesus said "Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more." Even the Old Testament teaches that adultery is pardonable. Most of us know David's experience with Bath-Sheba. When he saw his sin as God saw it he cried "Have merry upon me, O God according to thy loving kindness." (Psalms 51:1) Afterwards he could say in confidence, "He restoreth my soul!" (Psalms 23-3) Yes, adultery is a common, grievous and fearful sin! But it is pardonable! We can cry with the writer of the hymn, "Calvary covers it all, - my sin with its guilt and fear! My guilt and despair Jesus took with him there; and Calvary covers it all!" Truly we can say, "Grace that is greater than all our sins." Will you accept that grace today, now? Not only this sin but all sin, is covered by Jesus Jesus' precious blood! All that is required is true belief and true repentance! CHRIST DIED,--THAT IS HISTORY. CHRIST DIED FOR ME---THAT IS SALVATION. 139 Radio Meditations The following were meditations for the opening of the daily program of one of the radio stations in Bradenton, Florida. Different ministers were asked to do these over a week, or even a month's time. Troy did these for the whole month of October one year, but neither of us can remember the year. His notes show that he was there for these early morning meditations at other times. (E.T.B.) **************************** Are you afraid in these days? Someone has said, "Our greatest enemy is fear. If Russia moves in it will not be by power but by panic. Fear, not force, is Communism's greatest weapon." However this may be true in the international world, it proves right every day in our personal lives. Our enemy is not the fear of a momentary alarm--what a boy once called, "just plain old scared." That is not our problem! It is rather that nameless, nagging inner panic that is constantly with us. It is like a cancer on our minds; a knife blade in our nerves! Fear is an emotion. To rid ourselves of it we must use another emotion, either anger or love. God wants us to use love. He tells us that "perfect love casts out fear." (I John 4:18) Father in heaven, help us to love you beyond the power of any force to make us afraid. Amen. **************************** Are you afraid of losing your possessions? It is a common problem today. It is caused either by depending too much on things for your security, or by a sadly misplaced love for possessions. This last can be a form of idol-worship. All of us desire a freedom from want. Security is a wonderful help to happiness. But we Americans are over doing it! Things have become the very center of our lives. We would panic more quickly at losing them than for any other reason. Our homes, our jobs, our daily bread, our bank accounts and especially our comfort! To paraphrase what Jesus said in Luke 12:15, "A man's real life has nothing to do with how much he possesses." Help us, Lord, to know the worthlessness of just "things" alone. Amen. **************************** How can we lose the fear of having our possessions taken from us? One way that really helps is to give them back to the one who really owns them-To God. Make yourself just the "manager in the "partnership of God and L" Face the truth that you are not sole owner and proprietor of what you possess. Take God as your partner and be will help you to depend on the owner, not on the size of the inventory. Jesus said, 'Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple." (luke 14:33) Save us, Lord, from worshiping what we possess. May we not bow down to deeds and notes, to coin-idols and the images of our paper money. Let us worship thee and thee alone. Amen. **************************** Love is the powerful force which alone can drive out fear from our hearts. Love for God is learned through love for his son, our Lord. To know him is to always love him. To know 140 him better meet him often in the Bible, the word of God. Talk to him in prayer. Walk with him in helping others. See him in the lives of other people of God. More knowledge of him means more love for him. The more we love him the more we will trust him. He that fearest not is made perfect in love. (I John 4:18) Dear Father, thou whom we often call Divine Providence, teach us confidence in thee alone. Help us to become fully acquainted with thee, that we may also love thee. **************************** In Matt. 16:18 we find these words, "Upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." A recent magazine article infers that the church has failed. Many people today have the same idea. It is based upon a misunderstanding of what the church is intended to do in this age. Jesus commanded us to, "Preach the gospel to every creature," but he did not indicate that all would accept it. Indeed, in the parable of the sower he taught that only one in four hearers would become a true and faithful follower. The work of the church is to bear witness to God's love and grace. The results are altogether another matter. Let us make this our prayer: Help us, oh God, to be faithful to our work of giving a good testimony concerning thee. By our words and our deeds may-men about us know that we have been with Jesus and have learned of him. Amen. **************************** From John 17:6 we read these words, "I have manifested thy name to the men thou hast given me out of the world." God has not indicated that the church is to, "convert the world," but that we are instead to convert people from the world into Christ. The New Testament word for world is "kosmos." This does not mean the earth, or globe, on which we live. It means the great mass of unbelieving lost people, who prefer the evil, godless way of life. That is why we speak of them as "worldly." Many of them may even join the church for false or mistaken reasons. Thus we prey: Our Father, God of truth, grant that our witness to thy saving grace may be heard and believed by those who are in the world May they hear thy call and come forth out of the world and into thy family of believers, for Christ's sake we pray. Amen. **************************** In the third verse of the third chapter of John we read these words, "Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." Just as we must enter this life by being born into it, so we also enter the new life in God's family by a "new birth." This is an experience of faith which makes us alive to God--a spiritual rebirth. Jesus said, "Ye must be born again." Man was created a threefold person; body, mind and spirit. Sin killed our spiritual natures and the only way we can become full and complete personalities is through the experience of being born of the Spirit. Will you pray with me? Almighty God, if I am only two-thirds alive help me to know it and to come alive to thee, at whatever cost to myself, I ask in Jesus' name. Amen. **************************** "They went out from us but were not of us." We find these words in the 19th verse of the first epistle of John. Let us think about this question, "Has the church failed?" No, the 141 church has not failed, but individuals identified with the church have failed. Some fail because they are "in the church," but not "of the church." They are members in name only; not knowing God, or his will for their lives, they do not live or act as Christians should. So they bring reproach upon the church. Many of them are ignorant of their spiritual blindness. Let us pray for them. Our Lord, thou who has opened the eyes of the blind, grant that we may find ways to open the eyes of those who are nominally a part of the church but are living in spiritual darkness. Amen. , **************************** In II Peter 3:18 we find these words, "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ." Sometimes the church seems to fail because of individuals who are truly a part of the church. These people are Christians, but their problem is one of growth. For some reason they have failed to develop properly, and so they remain spiritual babies. Their conduct and their reactions are not those of mature followers of Christ. They are spiritually retarded. They are not really hypocrites, but are hindered someway in their growth in grace. We need to pray for them. Our Father we pray for all those who are 'babes in Christ.' Especially do we pray for those who have been infants too long. Help us to find a way to bring them into spiritual maturity. For our Savior's sake. Amen. **************************** Are you afraid of your enemies? Perhaps you do not have enemies. An old man was heard to say, "I do not have a living enemy. All the dirty so-and-sos are dead. I outlived them all!" Hate is a poisonous thing! A famous doctor once said in a New Year's address, "Many people will die this year because of last year's grudges." Hatred, malice, envy, jealousy--these can be very real causes of disease. Arthritis, allergies, skin trouble, heart attacks, stomach ulcers, nervous disorders, insanity, etc. etc. all have been a possible cause of hate. When forgiveness comes the disorder disappears. Christian people--true Christians-- are generally more healthy than those who are not. Not "an apple a day," but "the Christian way," really "keeps the doctor away." Dear Lord, bring so much love into our hearts that there will be no room for the poison of hate. Amen. What causes us to hate people? Psychologists tell us there is a basic law of the emotions here. We hate only those we fear. If you hate someone whom you think is your enemy you are afraid of that person. John says, "Perfect love casts out fear." No wonder love is the opposite of hate! For "fear is torture," is another rule of the law of love. Fear is love's opposite. "There is no fear in love." (I John 4:18) Lord Jesus, you were able to pray for those who nailed you to the cross, and to say, "Father, forgive them." Teach us how to pray for our enemies. Amen. **************************** 142 How can we overcome the fear of our enemies? Here are three ways: Love your enemies! But you say, "I cannot" That is true, but God in you can love them through you. Let self die and let God live in you, for "God is love." Second: Destroy your enemies! How! By the surest way--make friends of them. If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst give him drink. Every unhappy and dissatisfied person in the world is hungry and thirsty for something, most of them for bread. Christ said, "I am the bread of life." If we can find a way to feed that hunger and satisfy that thirst he will no longer be our enemy! Third: Pray for your enemy, then he will no longer be your enemy. Christ said, 'bless them that persecute you and pray for them that despitefully use you." It is impossible for us to pray for an enemy very long! He will become our friend. God of love, come into our lives and possess us, that we may have nothing within our hearts, but love! Amen. It is now more than fifteen years since man invented a flame hotter than anything we have ever known on earth. That searing light burned a new kind of fear in every heart. Are you not afraid of a nuclear war? Atomic energy is not new. It is simply the energy used in creation. It is God's finger-tips! Nuclear fission and fusion are God's tools to make the stars. There are atomic explosions far out in space that makes our bombs like pikers! But they are out there in the safe distances of light years. God is with holding them for his own judgment time. This is an old power put to a new use. Man put his sinstained hands upon it and made it a KILLER! The champion killer of all! Man has dared to take the tools of Almighty God and make them his playthings; the playthings of war! A college girl said, "If they say atomic bomb one more time I will scream." But we must say it! There hangs a flaming "Sward of Damocles" suspended on the horse-hair of international diplomacy! We are afraid and "fear hath torment. I John 4:18. Almighty God, help all of us find what many others have found, the loss of the fear of death. Amen. **************************** The fear of atomic destruction is almost universal. It is more than a normal fear. Added to the dread of pain, suffering and destruction and death, there is another fear. This is a dread of the unknown. That mushroom-shaped cloud over the western Pacific Ocean has spread a shadow of terror over every home and heart that can comprehend it! Every one? Yes, all except those people who have nothing to fear. Our Lord has given us our cue, "Fear not them who can destroy the body only." (Matt. 10:28) God of the atom, the galaxy, the universe--help us again to hear thy son say, "Not a sparrow falls to the earth, but your Father makes note of it!" Give us grace and courage to know that we are of more worth to you than a sparrow. Amen. **************************** How can I overcome my fear of a nuclear war? Here are three ways. First: Place more value on eternal life, and less on the few short years lived in this one. All this gabbing and hoarding, fighting and weeping would all stop if we mortals could just remember our mortality! Second: Place your life in God's hands. He will keep you safely through all things; even through '"The valley of the shadow of death." 143 Third: Remember--death is only a gate! Atomic destruction of the old can only be the beginning of the new for all true Christians. "A new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." Our Father, who art in heaven help us to comprehend a little of how much longer we will live in our mansions there with thee, than we will in these poor houses upon the earth. Amen. **************************** Are you afraid of death? Perhaps this is the most common fear of all. Not many of us are like the minister at a church picnic who became ill from overeating. He said, "Brethren, I think I am going to die!" Someone said, "Pastor, you wouldn't be afraid to die, would you?" He replied, "No, but I would be awfully ashamed to right now." What is this fear? Sometimes it helps to analyze our fears. It is partly the fear of the agonies of death. Most of us fear severe pain. Much of it is the fear of approaching the unknown. This is one of the bits of garbage left over from our paganism. We feel we know what is beyond death, for Jesus told us, "I go to prepare a place for you." (John 14:3) Our fear is mostly of what will follow death; ghostly echoes of our own guiltiness and ignorance of the forgiving grace of God. Lord of life and of death, help us to know that the hand that raised Jesus from the dead will also quicken our mortal bodies. Amen. **************************** How can we overcome the fear of death? First, let's make the unknown known. We do not know much about death. We have a book written under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Death is an open book to those who prayerfully read the New Testament. The worst suffering is bearable if God is with us. Only those who go alone are lost in suffering. Then remember the gate! Death opens on a better life. But you may say, "That gate is locked against me!" Jesus said, "Fear not, for I have the keys of death." Finally --let love be your lamp. When you pass through the "Valley of the Shadow of Death" that love will light your way with heavenly brilliance! Death will open your soul's eyes so that you can see Jesus, who said, "Perfect love casts out fear." (John 4:18) Lord Jesus, conqueror of the grave and of death, help us conquer our fears of such enemies as this. We want to live. Lead each one who hears into a knowledge that death is the gate to real living! Amen. **************************** Are you afraid of judgment? I once knew a mother who would not take her children to church because she was afraid they might hear something there that would disturb them. She was just confessing her own fear of judgment! Fear of judgment is the most justifiable of all our fears. It springs from right concepts. We know the pure holiness of God, the stem justice of God and our own guiltiness of sin. We are sure there must be a time of evening the score, when we all get what we deserve. We feel there is a punishment for all sin. To ignore this belief is to destroy all others. From Moscow to Manatee County, form Bradenton to Baghdad those who do not believe in judgment ignore all the laws of decency. Crooked business, lies, scandal, drunkenness, greed, gambling and unfaithfulness to vows should bring men to a fear of judgment! A fear of judgment turn men to God! 144 Thou art just, O Lord May we not defy thee. Thou art merciful. May we seek and find that mercy in Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. **************************** How can I be free from my fear of judgment? Judgment suggests legal terms. We will use them here, They may seem a bit irreverent, but I assure you that they are not! First: You can have a free pardon for your past! Jesus said, "Thy sins be forgiven thee." In I John 1:17 we read, "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin." You can have a heavenly attorney. The Scriptures tell us, "We have an advocate with the Father, even the son, Jesus Christ, the righteous." Who could better plead our case? He is the son of the judge, his Father! Lastly: The judge will adopt you into his family. "Ye have not received the spirit of bandage again to fear, but the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, "Abba Father!" When we accept Christ we are the children of God! (Read Romans 8) Heavenly Father, help us to put all our trust in thy son, Jesus Christ, our savior, for we can never defend ourselves. We are guilty, but we remember the death of Jesus on the cross. He became the Iamb of sacrifice for our sins. "The Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all." Amen. **************************** The following five meditations were given in one week's time. Troy did not note the date and I wondered why he did not close with prayer, as he usually did. Good morning. Do you need anything this morning? Most of you will say, "I surely do," and you might start naming your needs. It is a fair chance that your list will begin with money. But money is not our basic need. What all of us want most is happiness. We imagine that money would supply that happiness. All about us today are worried people-fearful people. Many of us act as though we were being followed by something. There is a nameless fear. There is but one cure for our fear - one answer to our need for happiness! It is a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. The only people you know who are truly at peace within themselves are the ones who are sure in this relationship! Could this be your way out? **************************** Where do you go when you need help? If true happiness only comes with a right relationship with God, then it is only sensible to go to God for the help we need All of us are invited to come. Jesus said, "Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." If you have any doubt that you will be heard, or that you are too unworthy to be received, then remember that Jesus also said, "He that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out." **************************** What are you going to do about your past? Without exception every one of us has a past. We bear no shame for the good and the beautiful in our past, but again, every one of us have some things in our past that are ugly and evil. There is but one thing any man can do about his past. Confess it to God. If we do this, and are truly sorry for the wrong, God can, and will cancel out all our past. "If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." **************************** 145 Who lives in your house today? A foolish question? No, not really. for I mean the house within you, which is the real you. This is the house of your heart. An empty house is a sorry, forlorn thing, even if it is clean and in good repair. Your inner life could be clean and orderly, but what if it is empty? It need not be, for there is one who says to you, "Behold I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him." The friend who wants into the house of your heart is Jesus. Will you open the door and invite him in? **************************** Whose side are you on? In any controversy, struggle or war of any kind, men insist that we identify ourselves. There is a great struggle stirring the whole earth today. It is the struggle between good and evil. Jesus Christ leads the forces for right and good. Are you on his side? Yes, but do others know that? "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Jesus said, "Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess before my Father, who is in heaven." **************************** "So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue you out of my mouth." (Rev. 3:16) The church is often spoken of as "two in one." The world sees the church as an "organization." This is the visible church. The true church however, is not a visible organization but rather a living organism. The visible church has often failed. It will fail again, and in the end fail completely. The true church, however, is the living body of Christ and it cannot possibly fail. Therefore let us pray: O Lord, thou who art the great head of the church, help us to know beyond doubt that we are part of thy living body, the true church. Amen. **************************** "If the salt have lost its savor it is henceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under the foot of man." {Matt. 5:13) We speak of the "Church Universal," which includes all true believers. Again we may mean by "The Church," the local congregation. The local church can fail, just as well as some day the whole organization man call "The Church" will fail. One reason for failure can be the loss of the sense of being "a called out people." The best translation of the word translated "Church" is out of evil. We are "called" out of the "world." We are called to be a peculiar people! This world is not our home. That is why we pray: Savior, may we hear thy call; give our hearts to thy obedience; serve and love thee best of all. Amen. **************************** "Wherefore come out from among them, and be you separate, saith the Lord." II Cor. 6:17 A church fails when its members no longer feel that they are a separate and holy people. Many church members are not--but the true church is! The world hates the idea of godliness. It seeks a common level for all. However the church must stay above that level, far above it! Let us pray: 146 Help thy church, O Lord, to be aware of its separation from the world. Help us to see that her purity is the source of her strength. In Jesus name. Amen. **************************** "Holy Father, keep through thy own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one as we are one." John 17:11 The local church can fail when it loses its sense of unity. God intended the church to be a loving family, spiritually one with each other. In the old-fashioned church they spoke of 'brothers' and "sisters." This is a very real thing in the true church. The Holy Spirit makes it real. Let is plead with God in prayer. Heavenly Father, make us to love you so much that we will all be on common ground. Make us truly one family in thy holy church. Amen. "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness." Matt. 6:33. The local church can fail when it loses its sense of the primacy of the kingdom of God. If any other cause is more important to us than the church; if Christ is anything but first, we will fail! God does not play "second fiddle." We need then to pray after this manner: Dearest Lord Jesus, help us to see that thou will be Lord of all, or thou will not be Lord at all. Teach us to put thy kingdom first. Amen. "What man of you having a hundred sheep if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost until he find it." Luke 15:4 Whenever the church loses its personal concern for lost men, that church will fail! It is not popular today to bother too much about our neighbors. In the old time church men spoke of a burden for souls. Jesus wept over a lost Jerusalem. Paul wished that he might be accursed from Christ if that would save his brothers! If we were more like Jesus, we too would care more. Men are lost without Christ. Let us pray: Lord, help me to live from day to day in such a self-forgetful way, that even when I kneel to pray, my prayer shall be for others. Amen. "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Phil. 1:21 Some people have wrong ideas about Christianity. They are well meaning, but they are not wise! Some make the church to be a kind of glorified "don't" society. Others think of it as being cold and dead, conforming to a written creed. Others make it out as being the acting out of certain postures of body and mind. It is true these things are part of the church, but they are the dead part. They are the shell. True Christianity is a living adventure. The most glorious adventure possible in this life! This is why we pray: O Lord, make us alive! Wonderfully, thrillingly awake to the glory of living with Jesus! In his name we pray. Amen. **************************** 147 "I have sinned." Luke 15:21 Here are three of the rarest words in the Bible. This phrase is used only seven times in the entire book. In some case men had to be forced to say them! In spite of God's word which says, "All have sinned only seven men in the whole Bible admitted it. The world has one problem today. It is the inability to admit the word "sin." That is why we pray: Heavenly Father, help us and all who listen, to know that we are sinners and that Jesus Christ is the only answer to the sin problem. In his name we pray. Amen. "So that they are without excuse." Romans 1:20 It is a common trait, this business of trying to excuse ourselves. Of the seven men in the Bible who confessed, "I have sinned," two hardened their hearts; two blamed others; one pleaded ignorance; two confessed too late. They only confessed after they were caught! We may seek to excuse ourselves, but in the end, either here or hereafter, we must confess, "I have sinned." Let us pray. Heavenly Father, I see my sins; help me to see my Savior. Amen. **************************** "For I acknowledge my transgression, and my sin is ever before me." Psalm 51:3. The phrase, "under conviction for sin" is almost forgotten in these days. Conviction is defined as a "strong feeling of personal sin, an anxiety over one's fate because of this belief." It can come in several ways. We may be accused to our faces, as was David, or see the fearful result of our sin; as did Pharaoh and Judas. However, under grace it usually comes through the words of God, or by the prayers of God's people. So we pray: Oh Lord, our God help men to know their guilt of sin and help them also to turn to Christ as their only hope. Amen. **************************** "Have merry upon me 0 Lord according to thy loving kindness." Psalm 51:1 Friend, how do you plead? Do you say, "I am not guilty of sin?" If so, you claim perfect innocence and innocent perfection, too! However if you plead "guilty" you ask for God's grace. Grace is merry extended to those who deserve no mercy. How do you plead? Won't you pray with me? Merciful Father, against thee and thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight. Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. In Jesus precious blood. Amen. **************************** "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." Psalm 51:10 Repentance is not a popular word. However, it is absolutely necessary if we are to find forgiveness. It means many things. It means hatred of sin; it means forsaking sin; it means a determination not to repeat sin. A person does not caress the rattlesnake that bit him. If you still love sin you have not repented! Your sorrow is not "Godly sorrow." Anyone is sorry when he is caught. Repentance is sorrow for the act. Let us pray. 148 Holy Spirit of God lead us into true repentance. Destroy the serpent of sin from within us. In the name of our Savior. Amen. **************************** "Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance." Matt. 3:8 Repentance, then, is a kind of tree which bears fruit. This fruit is threefold: It is a rejection of evil; it is being reconciled to our enemies. This second element may take some genuine work on our part, but if we are sincere we can accomplish it. Finally, it means to repair any wrong we have done to others. Zacchaeus truly repented! He promised to restore four-fold all that he had taken wrongfully. Jesus replied to him, '17his day is salvation come to this house," Our prayer is simple: Dear Father, help us truly to repent--so that we bear the fruits of repentance, for Jesus sake. Amen. **************************** "If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." I John 1:9. There is a divine order in this matter of salvation from sin. First: The Holy Spirit convicts us and we repent and believe; then Jesus the Son cleanses us by his blood. God the Father judges us clean and adopts us into his family. Again the Holy Spirit comes into our lives and gives us joyous assurance! Our prayer is one of joy. We thank thee, Father, for cleansing us from our sins and for assuring us of our salvation! For Jesus sake. Amen. "Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures." I Cor. 15:3. There are two sights that will save anyone. First, we must look within, at our own sinstained life. Secondly, we must look to Jesus and his death on the cross. The first is the cause, the second is the effect. There were four people who were once alive who knew perfectly how this works. Four chaplains on a sinking ship during World War II, who gave up their life preservers and went down with the ship. Four men died that four others might live! Our prayer: Lord Jesus, you are our eternal life preserver. We thank you. Amen. **************************** "Beloved, let us love one another." I John 4:7. The Bible has many names for the local church. It is called "The Body of Christ; the Bride of Christ; the Household of Faith; the People of the Way. The most meaningful designation for the church is probably the Family of God. It is called this last name in Ephesians 2:19. When we are forgiven of sin and experience the new birth, we come into the family of God. Let us pray for one another as members of one family. 149 Our Heavenly Father and Jesus our elder Brother, make us to be one in thee and with all those who are truly part of your family, for the sake of thy body, the church we pray. Amen. **************************** "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." I John 3:2-3. The church is sometimes called the bride of Christ. Let us think for a moment of a new bride. She may not look very presentable much of the day, but as the afternoon progresses she begins to think of the return home of the groom from work. She want to look her best and she makes the necessary preparations. That is exactly what the Bible says in I John 3:3. We have the hope of seeing Jesus. That is why we make ourselves clean. Shall we pray together? Heavenly Father, it may be about time for Jesus to return again to earth. Help us that we might be ready for his coming, "as a bride adorned for her husband." Amen. 150 Biblical Terms Some of our church members wished to study some biblical terms often used in the scriptures and Troy conducted several studies on these, either at the Sunday night service or at the mid-week one. Neither of us can now remember just when, but we know it was at the Winter Park church. I think the following is a continuation of a previous study, but there is nothing to indicate a specific title for this segment--or when or where it was given. Since Troy did not write or type many sermons or bible study lessons I felt this should be preserved For it to have a name I call it: PEARLS OF GREAT PRICE Last Sunday's lesson brought up difficulty that may concern you, as it did me in my earlier days of Christian life. I was trying to excuse myself for not being concerned about a family in the community. They were especially vile and evil people. In my own attempt to feel above them I said to my pastor, "I do not feel that we should waste time talking with them. After all, the Bible says not "to cast your pearls before swine." In his deeper spiritual insight and wisdom my pastor quickly set my thinking straight about this matter. He said, "That is not at all what Jesus meant when he spoke those words. The gospel of Christ is not in any way your pearls. It is his treasure. I am sure he would not call the lowest man who ever lived "swine." He is talking about something else here. (Matt. 7:6) He is saying that we must not take the precious pearls of our talents, or our lives, or the hours of our lives and throw them before the swine of self-indulgence or of evil, or of any of Satan's horde of evil things." The forces of evil can take the precious things of our lives and "trample them under their feet," and then turn and attack us. They can also destroy our talents and our possessions. The man who gives his body and mental health to drink, or his passions to over-indulgence, - he is the one who "throws his pearls before swine." We need never to be afraid to tell the sweet story of the gospel of Christ to the lowest of men. They may never accept it. They may indeed "trample it under their feet!" They may even, as the scriptures say, "trample under foot the son of God himself." They may "crucify the Son of God again, and put him to open shame," but that will not destroy God's love for them. Neither will it cause our Lord Jesus to withdraw his offer of salvation. Nor will they who have heard the gospel from us "turn and rend us." They may truly hurt our bodies, but that is something not to be feared. Jesus does not wam us to flee from the danger of experiencing it. He rather tells us that such persecution for righteousness sake will bring us greater joy. (Matt. 5:10-11) The truth of this word in Matt. 7:6 is this: Do not throw the precious pearls of time, talents and possessions which God has given you to the swine of sinful living, self-indulgence and evil ways. Don't ever give the "dogs" of rottenness and filthy ways the holy things which God intended you to use for his glory. 151 BIBLE TERMS FOR PLACES OF THE AFTER LIFE There is much confusion about the meaning of the word "hell" as used in the King James Version of the Bible. This needs careful clearing in our thinking. We must not be confused by over-zealous teachers of false doctrine. The following will help us know the truth, but should be followed by the actual reading of the references themselves., so that we will have the actual quotations and their respective backgrounds. 1. SHEOL. This is a Hebrew word used 65 times in the Old Testament. (Bear in mind that the Old Testament was written in Hebrew and that the New Testament was written in the Greek language.) 31 times it is translated as "hell" in the King James. 31 times it is translated "the grave." 3 times it is translated "the pit." 2. HADES. This is a Greek word used 11 tunes in the New Testament. It has exactly the same meaning as the Hebrew word "Sheol" above. Neither of these words are ever used to denote the place of final punishment for the wicked. Nor are they ever used to denote the place where the physical body is put after-death, nor for the mere state of death for the body. Nor are they ever used to describe the "pit" or "abyss" as such. SHEOL and HADES are the Bible names for the place in the unseen world where departed spirits dwell, or "the place of departed spirits." It is the general receptacle of the soul after it has left the body. This place is obviously a divided one, with a "great gulf fixed" between the two. The place called in Hebrew, "Abaddon" or in Greek "Apollyon" is where the spirits of evil men are held captive until the time of the final judgment at "The Great White Throne" described in the 20th chapter of Revelation. We know from the story of Lazarus and the rich man that these souls are conscious and that they are fearful of their final destiny; that they converse with the souls of the righteous on the other side of the " nlf." We know they are tormented "in flames" while waiting judgment. Some Bible students think that these are the flames of remorse and fear and some hold that this is just a parable only. However, Jesus definitely said "There was a certain rich man---etc." PARADISE, called ABRAHAM'S BOSOM by the Jewish Rabbis, is the place where the righteous souls await judgment and rewards. But it is a state of rest, rather than one of torment. Jesus, our Lord, visited all of Hades preaching the gospel to the spirits in prison and "led captivity captive" by breaking down the gates of Hell and taking all the righteous dead to be with the Lord. (Note: The word translated "hell" should have been "Hades." 'The gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." (the church) Also: "O death, where is the sting? O Hades, where is the victory?" I Cor. 15:55; 1 Peter 3:18-19; Ephesians 4:8.) 3. TOPHET---- This Hebrew word is used 9 times in the Old Testament. (II Kings 23:10; Isaiah 30:33; Jeremiah 7:31 and 32; Jeremiah 19: 6, 11, 12, 13, 14; In the King James translation it is not translated from the original Hebrew, but is spelled in two different ways. Topheth is defined as "a place in the Valley of Hint 152 on where sacrifices were made and dead bodies burned. It is identical with the Greek word Gehenna. 4. GEHENNA--or Ge-enna. This word is derived from the Hebrew "Jah" (God) and "Hinnom" (literally God's garbage dump) It is used several times in the New Testament. (Matt. 5:22, 29, 30; 10:28; 18:9, 23:15, 33; Luke 12:5; James 3:6.) It is exactly the same as the terms "Lake of Fire," "Perdition" and "second death." No one, as yet, is in this Lake of Fire. The "BEAST" and the "FALSE PROPHET' will be the first ones consigned there. This is described in Revelation 19. At the end of the Millenium period (1000 years) Satan will be cast also into the Lake of Fire. CAN A CHRISTIAN COMMIT SINS? One of the most precious books of the Bible is I John. It has only five short chapters. It is full of wonderful words of assurance for the children of God. It has been of comfort to most of us who have come to know our Lord as Savior, perhaps more than any other book in the Bible. However, right in the middle of this little epistle, in chapter 3 verse 9, there is a most disturbing expression! After assuring us that, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us," and also, If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." John then proceeds to tell us what appears to be a contradictory statement, denying all the others. It must be said at the very beginning that John does not contradict himself! If our understanding of what is taught in one verse of the epistle (letter) seems to oppose what is taught in another verse, then our understanding is wrong or there has been some error in the translation from the Greek into English. This is the first rule of Bible interpretation. Minor incidents may vary between writers, but there is nothing that should cause us too much difficulty if we clearly understand what is being taught. Obviously then, if we are led to believe that I John 3:9 teaches sinless perfection, then we have the wrong understanding. We must then go back to the verse itself and try to find its exact meaning. Now let's look at the statement itself. "Wbosoever is born of God does not commit sin." The King James version is seemingly plain of meaning. In our present concepts of meaning it does teach sinlessness. But we must go back to the original language to find out exactly what the words mean. No word in the sentence is in anyway poorly translated, except one. That is the word rendered "commit" in the common King James version. In the Greek it is "poiei," which is a form of the Greek verb "to make." The verb has in it the sense of continual doing, or doing by habit, or to "make a practice of sin." It must follow from this that the Christian does not continue in the habitual daily indulgence of sin. It is not a part of his new and true nature. It is now foreign to him and if it comes into his life is a thing out of place. Now let us see how this works out in daily experience. Almost every Christian will witness that after his conversion, he will come to hate some of the things he loved before. These are the things he specifically knew to be sin in his life before conversion; those in which he indulged, and had to be converted "from." 153 Now he is a new creature in Christ Jesus and those things which condemned him so, and made his life a misery of conviction, he now despises for the evil they were to him. He may, because of momentary weakness, or ignorance, or by exceedingly strong temptation fall back into some former evil practice. But, what is his attitude when he knows he has failed? Where once he loved this sin and sought out opportunity to do the thing over and over again, now he is grief stricken. He is driven to his knees in repentance for the very sin he once delighted in. Far from practicing sin, he abhors it and regrets the very failure or weakness that led him to fall. If he is properly led, his repentance will bring forgiveness. This will result in new attempts to conquer that sin and also with a stronger will to avoid it. Many, however, fail to know the "right way." Satan often takes advantage of that failure to say to the Christian, "Now you have done it! What's the use to keep trying? You have failed! Why don't you quit? You don't want to go back to your Christian friends under these conditions!" Many years of sad and sorrowful backsliding often result from listening to these whispers of our old demonic enemy. There is another problem, however, which we must face and which is more often the cause of defeat than the above. What about the person who has a basic, and especially strong temptation, with a corresponding weakness of his flesh for a certain sin? He may be genuinely distressed about his failures, and make all efforts to repent, yet is brought back time and again to the same failure? Is that person a Christian? Is his failure a mark of a false professor, who has only a pretense of faith? If so, than God help us! There are more of these then we ever admit and many of God's professing children are false! If we would admit it most of us have one besetting sin which annoys us with its strength and returns to haunt us with the continual worry of doubt. Usually this sin comes as a result of a weakness which seems to be a basic part of character. Often it is associated with some emotion or attitude, which in itself is both high and clean, but borders on the area of our weakness. It can be either a natural or acquired appetite. For some it is in the area of language. The scriptures say that "the tongue can no man tame." For others it is alcohol. Who knows the sharpness of this thirst but the one who has acquired it? For others it may be in the area of sex. The natural drives may be over stimulated in this modern age of advertising and the feeling that there is an attitude of permissiveness in this regard. Are these unfortunate people to be condemned as never having known God? Is he, or she, to be abandoned to sin as a hypocrite? Are they to be driven out of the church for the weakness that brought them low? So Satan would have it! He wants the return of every one of these born again children of God back to his own evil fold. How then shall we face this dilemma? First: Let us face it from our own experience. How many of us, after having wrestled in failure for years with some such problem, found that at last, with the help of God, prayer and persevering love, we have conquered. Oh wonderful triumph of victory! We ere so overjoyed that we look upon it as almost equal to our conversion experience. There may be others still fighting their problem who feel like giving up now. They may feel that they are hypocrites and have never truly known God! But they cry from the depth of their hearts, "Don't abandon us, please! Our will is weak, but we do love our Lord Jesus and our desire is to conquer this tormenting thing. Certainly it would be easier for us to give up if we are only pretending! What profit this continual buffeting of ourselves, this inner conflict, this war within, this night long wrestling? Shall we be denied to lift our eyes to the cross of Calvary and believe in our forgiveness? Shall those 154 who are stronger than we, sneer at our failure? Did not many of you have the same struggle into victory? Shall not we who are weak also ultimately find our strength in Christ?" Quite often those who are weak in one area are able to help their critics, who are weak in another area. So we help each other, for we all have weaknesses in some area. Those who keep trying and fail time after time, are not trying in vain! I perceive for them the ultimate victory! They do not truly "make a practice of sinning." They rather make a practice of repenting! I know that if they keep trying they will ultimately find the sorrow stronger than the sin, and thus will no longer fail! Finally: Does God not love the poor and the sickly ones of his flock as well as those who are strong? And if one of the strong ones be crippled in some part of his life, shall God despise him for his weakness? Take heart, those of you who try and fail. Our Lord says there is forgiveness! If we are to forgive seventy times seven, which is 490 times in one day, will not our Father do likewise? Sincerity! That is the key! Our sincerity is proven by our actions. Do we seek ways to avoid our weakness; to escape repeated temptation? Or do we rather delight in our failures and make no effort to escape temptations? If we do the first we are children of God, though weak ones. If the latter, there is no doubt of it, we are not God's children! JUDGMENT FOR SIN AND REWARDS FOR GOOD DEEDS There is so much misunderstanding in this whole area that hours could be spent in explaining. I will try to make this as concise and clear as possible. You must first understand that there are two judgments. At the one, while our deeds are reviewed out of the books of record, they are not our means of escape from judgment. We pass that judgment, not because we have been "good" for Romans 3:23 tells us that, "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." It is rather because our names are written in the "Book of Life." To have our names written in that book simply means that by Jesus' blood our sins are forgiven, when we accept him as our Savior. Therefore our records in the "books" are canceled. Thus we are not guilty, because Jesus took our sins upon himself - he died in our place! Please note carefully that verse 20 in Revelation 20 says, '"The books" were opened and another book was opened which was "The Book of Life." Note also that the spiritually dead are judged according to the deeds done in the flesh. These are recorded in the "books." But if you have accepted Christ, you are a Christian and Jesus has paid the price for your sins and there is no record against you in the "books." Instead, we who are Christians, have accepted Christ's blood to cover our sins - to blot out our records! Our names have been written in his "Book of Life." But there is another judgment, as recorded in II Corinthians 5:10. This is not the "Great White Throne Judgment" This is called "The Judgment Seat of Christ." This is the time when those saved from the above judgment, described in the 20th chapter of Revelation stand before Christ as his own. It is a kind of "Family Affair." Here you and 1, and every Christian, will stand Nothing can be hidden from those around us, "for the things done in secret shall be shouted from the housetop." The only escape from our sin and our shame will be to either ask and accept the forgiveness, in this life, of our Lord Jesus for 155 all the sins of the past, or we must stand in that day and have our sins exposed before the whole family of God. This is the explanation for I Corinthians 3:14-15, in which we are saved but some of our works are burned. We lose our rewards, but we ourselves are to be saved "So as by fire." So if we accept forgiveness and obtain victory over our sins in this life, we can settle it between ourselves and Christ alone. Otherwise we must face our Christian friends and loved ones who are saved. They will then know everything that we have done since we were saved. But they will also understand why we have done these things, for they, even as we, will then "know, even as we are known." So we must find our answer before we die, or face all before God's family at the "judgment seat of Christ" We must find our solution now! THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN All the universe was once the kingdom of God. Every star, every planet, every being spiritual or physical - all were God's, for he created them - and called his creation "good." He gave his angels charge over every heavenly body. The morning stars sang together for joy to be a part of this perfect universe. But there was one of God's most favored beings who became unhappy with all this. He was jealous of all the glories of the universe belonging to God, the creator of it all. He became proud and cried, "I will be God!" This beings name was Lucifer. He, along with Michael, were the beings nearest to God, The wings of these two touched across the pure, white flame of the presence of God upon the "Ark of Presence." (Ezekiel 28:14-15) In his jealousy and pride he entered God's perfect universe for the first time. (Isaiah 14:9-17) Many Bible students think that this "earth" was the special realm given to Lucifer, whose name means "Day-star," and that after his rebellion (Revelation 12:3-9) God took "earth" away from Lucifer and gave it to Adam and thus to all people. After the fall of Adam, sin came into this "earth" and it ceased to be a part of "The Kingdom of God." All of God's efforts since that time has been to regain, through redemption and love, that which Satan (once Lucifer) has stolen from God through sinful people. This special campaign is in charge of God's only begotten son, Jesus Christ. He will eventually set up his kingdom upon this earth. It will then be called `The Kingdom of Heaven." By his death on the cross he made it possible for sinful people to become a part of this Kingdom. Or rather for this kingdom to come into the hearts of sinners. Jesus said "The Kingdom of Heaven is within you." The Kingdom of Heaven is a mixture of good and evil, the pure and the impure, the true and the false. This is true because Satan tries and often succeeds in infiltrating the forces of Christ upon the earth. This explains the parable in Matthew 13, in which we see both the good and the evil together in the Kingdom of Heaven. This is never true in explaining the parables of the Kingdom of God." In the end of the age, judgment shall separate the 'wheat and the tares." The good will then become a part of the great coming "Kingdom of God" brought back to the earth, to take up once more all that was once a part of it. 156 Because the Kingdom of God is spiritual it is entered only by the "new birth." (John 3:3) The Kingdom of Heaven is inclusive , even of property and of possessions. Anything on earth that is in the hands of Christians should be thought of as belonging to God. We, his children, are just managers of what others may regard as our possessions. At the end of earth's Glory Age, called "The Millennium," Christ will have everything under his control. All sin will have been abolished from the universe. At that time there will be no mixing of good and evil, or pure and impure. This glory age will last 1000 years and Christ will be the ruler here on this earth, At the end of the 1000 year period of the Millennium, Christ will present the earth and all its creatures, both spiritual and physical, back to his Father. At this time the Kingdom of Heaven will become once more a part of the great universal Kingdom of God. Revelation 11:15 tells of the time when Christ shall take over the worldly kingdoms of the earth and shall make them his own. I Cor. 1524-28 tells of the time later, when the Son shall deliver all things over to the Father. The Kingdom of Heaven will then become a part of the greater "Kingdom of God." Joshua Green, Freedman (A story based on fact.) In the summer of 1980, my wife and 1, my brother and my sister, Rosalyn, climbed into a four-wheel drive jeep driven by my nephew, David, and made a sentimental journey up to the area of the scenes of my childhood. We drove up a rocky primitive road on the western side of the last ridge of the Alleghenies to about the 3,000 foot level. In the late 1800's and early part of the present century, the area had been the home of about a dozen families. Now there is not a single log left of the dwellings they had built, and nothing left at all of the hundred or so acres they had cleared from the virgin forest. About a mile below my boyhood homesite, we passed the place where the first of these mountaineers lived. I recalled again the stories my parents had told me about this black man, a former slave. Today I begin a recounting of these stories, an undertaking I have always wanted to do. **************************** "Joshua, you'd best go north and find work. I know now that your Mas'r won't come back from the war. There's hardly food left for me, and no money, so you'd better go." "But Missis, what'll you do?" "Oh, I'll go to my daughter's in Richmond. The land can rest till later. Maybe I'll sell it, if anybody has money left to buy it. You're a good boy, Joshua, and a good worker. Somebody can use you. You'd starve here. I'm giving you Mas'rs good suit. You're about his size, and a good appearance will help you find work. There's an old duffel bag, and I've put you some food in a sack. It'll last a day or so." "But I hates to leave you, ma'am. You sure you'll be all right?" "Don't worry about me, Joshua. I'll be all right. I'll do fine." "If you says so, I'll go first thing in the mornin , ma'am." 157 *************************** Dust hot on thin shoe soles; July sun hot on his back. Cold glances and sneers from white farmers in the wide valley. He had only a piece of corn pone left of the food Missis had given, and not a dime to buy food in the town he was approaching, a place named Staunton. There were few people in the summer streets, mostly white folks on some urgent errand. They ignored him completely. A few sad-looking blacks moved in the narrow alleys off the main street. Some spoke, some didn't. One boy even grunted at him. He could feel no welcome in this town. He walked as though for a single purpose--to get as far away from the valley as possible. High ridges lay ahead of him, and the turnpike under his feet of uneven Macadam, with many stones loose and scattered by neglect. Even the roads seemed war-worn and paved with weariness. The sun fell rapidly below the mountain ridges. The valley he traversed now was very narrow, the corn much shorter in the rows and the houses smaller and poorly kept. No slave quarters, and workers in the fields were mostly women and children. How many homes were fatherless from the war, he wondered? The road led to the foot of a long hill, then wound its way to the top. From observation and boyhood experience, Joshua knew he would find more leaves on the east side of the crest. He climbed a rail fence, crept through the bushes till he was away from the road sat down on a convenient stone and ate the cold pone. With his spread fingers he raked the leaves into a pile, then in the growing darkness, stretched his young body upon the improvised mattress. He slept soundly, but awakened once in the night, chilly in the mountain air, and raked some of the leaves over him. Singing birds awakened him, and he lay for awhile, thinking. He was free! Free as the birds singing in the tops of the scrub oaks on the hilltop! But he was also hungry; hungry as only a late teen-age boy could be who had only a bite of bread for supper. He sat up for a moment, then remembered he hadn't prayed. The primitive black preacher whose simple gospel Joshua had believed and accepted was able to show him the kind love revealed in the story of Jesus, and a child-like prayer for forgiveness had given him peace. To the other blacks on the plantation, he simply said, "Jesus is my friend." "Thank you, Jesus, for walkin' with me. Help me today. Like you prayed 'give me daily bread' Amen." He arose from his knees, parted the bushes and re-entered the road, cooled now, and without the track of a single traveler through the night. With the sun warming his back, he descended to a mountain hollow, and a log cabin on the edge of a tiny stream. He knocked timidly on the rough door, and a slatternly woman opened it. "Ma'am, could I chop ye some wood for a bite of bread?" "Got no bread for niggers. Now git!" The door slammed shut. He wasted no time getting away from that house. At the next dwelling, a mile or so down the road, he was driven away by two snarling dogs without a soul in sight. Plodding on, he passed an old battlefield on the left of the road the trenches already falling away and grass growing on the dirt behind the decaying logs of the old embankments. Crossing a swift river he came to a small settlement, the village of McDowell, with some signs of a bit more prosperity. He deliberately passed by two pretentious homes, then walked up a path bordered by summer flowers and knocked on a cottage door. A tiny older woman came to answer his knock, and smilingly said "Good morning." 158 "Lady, do you have some work I could do for a bite of bread?" "Well, no, I just don't have a thing that isn't done, but if you are hungry, I can let you have some bread and milk, and there's plenty of apples on that early harvest tree in the back yard Just help yourself. I'll get you a bowl for the milk. You can cat on the back porch. Lord knows there's plenty of hungry folks around these days. I'm just glad the Lord provides me a little to share." Joshua walked around the little home, and found a chair pulled up to a small stand, with a generous dish of fresh milk and several slices of white bread alongside. As the woman watched, he sat down and bowed his head. "Thank you, Lord, for hearing my prayer, and for this good woman, and this food" The woman added a hearty "Amen." Having eaten well, he helped himself to some of the many apples on the ground under the trees. The woman wished him a good journey and he walked out to the village street, feeling unusually happy, and somehow with a deeper faith in his fellow-man. Through the late morning and the hot afternoon he continued onward and over two more mountain ridges, each higher than the ones he had passed. A faded sign on the last summit indicated only a few miles to the next town, Monterey. As he descended the mountain ridge and came around the last sharp bend in the road, he saw a man sitting on a fallen tree trunk,4us horse tied nearby. The man was wearing a badge. When Joshua was within a few yards, the man stood. "Where ya goin, nigger?" "I wanted to cross the mountains," Joshua replied. "I'm here to see that ya keep movin . We got enough niggers of our own to bother with." The town marshal mounted his horse, allowing Joshua to walk a few steps ahead of him. Joined by a few jeering boys and several barking dogs, the singular parade continued by the harness shop, a general store and a small courthouse, then on by several dwellings, up the western mountainside to the town limits. "Keep a'goin you black bastard, and don't stop till ya cross the state line, if you know what's good for ye!" Joshua needed no further encouragement, as his strong young legs carried him rapidly up the long and crooked road to the top of the mountain. It was growing late as he descended the western slope and made out a very small village in the mountain valley. Dreading what he might experience there, he nevertheless continued on. Nearing the first house, he saw an old black man lead a horse into a field and close the gate. 'Evenin', brother," the old man said. "Evenini to you brother," Joshua replied. "You s'pose a man could find a bite to eat and a place to sleep somewhere near?" "Might be. Old woman an' me ain't got much, but we might spare a little. The boys took off for Ohio. You could lay in their bunk." As they continued walking, turning down a path by a neat dwelling and on to what had been slave cabins, Joshua learned something of the local situation. The old man and his 159 "woman" had felt too aged to start out on their own, and their former owner, being a charitable man, had agreed to an arrangement, not much above slavery, in which the blacks could work on the farm for their rent and "keep," which was mostly corn bread and beans, and such fruit as they could glean from old trees. This was supplemented by wild berries and nuts which grew in profusion on the mountain sides. "We sometimes gits extra when the neighbors hires us. They gives us twenty-five cents a day," the old man explained. The woman seemed glad for a little company, and put an extra tin plate on the sideboard for their guest. The food though plain, was satisfying. Joshua's voluntary grace before the two meals he ate with them, and his morning prayer were evidently not customary in the household. Joshua left early, before the farm owner was stirring. He felt a deep warmth in his heart for the two ancients, and was a bit reluctant to leave. His road continued upward from the village to a very high ridge, which he later learned was called the "High Allegheny" by the natives. A newly erected sign said simply "W. Va. State Line." A few miles further on, he entered another village, Durbin, and was given a back door handout of corn bread and "fatback." Late afternoon found him on a very high plateau, with no houses along the unusually straight highway. An abandoned Federal Camp, "Old White Top," lay on the left of the road. It bore signs of a rather long occupancy. After making a supper of wild raspberries growing nearby, he decided to stay in one of the abandoned shelters at the old camp. Night temperatures were very cool at that altitude, and Joshua had to open the little valise and take out the almost new coat to the suit belonging to his former master. In spite of the coat he was chilled during the night, and was almost glad to be on his way without breakfast. Later he would pick some more berries to partially satisfy the gnawing hunger he felt. The plateau was wide, and it was late morning when the road led down the western slope and along a mountain hollow out onto the valley floor. At several places, coming down the mountain, he had sighted the valley farms as his gaze led to the northeast, where the flat and fertile soil continued until hid in the blue atmosphere of the mountains on either side. He left the foothills and traversed the level valley toward a village on the western edge, the town of Huttonsville. On the right side of the road, two men were busy building a rail fence. From their resemblance he judged them to be father and son. As he came near, they sat down on the log on which they were working. "Do you know where I could do some work and earn a bite to eat?" He asked. The older man replied "No, I don't, sonny. But I'll tell you what. Were having some trouble splitting this log because of a big knot. If you'll help us do the job, I'll give you a sandwich out of our dinner bucket. Ma always gives us too much," he explained to the son. A slender pole lay by the side of the log, and the older man took another limb from the downed oak and tapered the end with his axe. Then, using a sledge, he drove the iron wedge into the split in the log, opening a crack about two inches. Into this opening they inserted the two poles, and with the son on one side and Joshua on the other, they pried the opening much wider. The man used the axe to chop away at the knot, and with a loud report, the log split open completely. Using the same procedure, it was easy to split each half of the log, about 18 inches thick, into three rails. 160 The older man picked up the pail from under a nearby tree, and the three of them sat down in its shade. A sandwich with a generous slice of fried ham was passed to each. "You mind if I pray?" asked Joshua. "Not a bit, sonny. S'pose we all ought to be more thankful for what we got." A jelly sandwich and a ripe tomato completed the meal. Joshua thanked them heartily, then continued on his way. The road continued into the town, then headed northeast down the valley. It was getting very cloudy as he passed through two more villages, and black clouds in the northwest brought a summer thunderstorm. A haystack in a nearby meadow had been eaten away by cattle in the field. An overhang of about two feet promised shelter on the side away from the storm, and Joshua hurried under this refuge. He concealed his duffel bag in the loose hay, and leaned back close to the base of the stack. The storm lasted about an hour, and it seemed best to remain in the shelter for the night, rather than walk through the wet grass and on the muddy road. He was used to going without meals, and as dark approached, he dug out a hollow in the hay and had a comfortable bed for the night. The morning dawned brightly, and the promise was for a warm July day. Joshua decided it was time he had a bath. A double row of sycamore trees about a hundred yards to the east marked the course of the river. Retrieving his bag, he walked to the line of trees, and finding a place where the river stood in a deep pool, he stripped and plunged into the cool water, soaking off the grime and stain of the miles since leaving the small plantation in southern Virginia. After washing his shirt and meager undergarment, he stretched them on a nearby bush and laid down on the yellow sand at the river's edge. When his clothes were dry, he put them on and opened the bag, taking out the suit he had been given. Greatly improved in appearance, he walked the three or four miles into the town that was to be a part of his destiny. The name of the village was Beverly. The first man he accosted ignored him, but the second told him that he might earn a meal at the tavern, which was located where the turnpike left the main street to make its way over the last range of the Alleghenies. Knocking at the back door, (as a black man, he knew better than to go to the front, or enter the tavern.) A teen-age girl, with brown hair and blue eyes, came to the open door. He asked his usual question, and the girl called out, "Pa." After a delay, the tavern-keeper came to the door. His first impulse was to refuse the request for work, then he reconsidered, being impressed by the black's neat appearance and clean-cut features, marking the man as being quite intelligent. His business had been improving since the war, and some new people had come to town, including a couple of lawyers hoping for business from the courthouse. "Maybe I could use you, boy. We'll try you out and see. I need someone to cut wood and to clean up around the place. Nancy, give him something to eat if there's anything left from breakfast." The girl served him some thick bacon, some leftover slices of bread and a cup of black coffee. He had hardly finished the meal when the tavern-keeper came back to the kitchen. '7 want the floors swept, and you can take the spittoons down to the river and wash them. Then there's fresh sawdust in the shed back of the kitchen to spread on the floors. Then you can cut and carry in some firewood for the kitchen." The girl, Nancy, gave him the broom and showed him where the sawdust was stored. Joshua was clean and thorough by nature, and hoping for a more or less steady employment, he swept out all the comers, moving the home-made ladder-back chairs 161 and tall bar stools. The old sawdust he swept out the front door and off the cut stone stoop, where it added to that of many such sweepings. The spittoons were next. They were solid brass, and quite heavy, so he made two trips, carrying them to the river's edge, just below the covered bridge across the stream. He took a moment to admire the well-arranged heavy timbers of the bridge. Later he learned that the man's name who had built it was Chenoweth, not a certified engineer, but a practical one, and judging by his work an excellent one. Joshua emptied and washed the spittoons thoroughly, and taking some sand from the river shore, scoured and polished them till they shone brightly. Carrying them back to the tavern, he first got a pail of sawdust and sprinkled it from his hand over the floors, including the kitchen. He then placed the cuspidors in their usual places. Nancy was serving some customers at the bar. Her father came in, and glancing approvingly around at the room said "You can cut the wood now." When evening came, he was given a good meal, with beef and boiled potatoes, summer vegetables and more black coffee. His employer told him he could sleep in the barn, and since there was plenty of hay there, he slept quite comfortably. He was awakened in the morning by Nancy's mother, coming to milk the two cows. She was a quiet woman, seemingly only willing to speak when spoken to. Joshua cleaned the stable area and spread fresh straw without being told to do so. He was careful to clean his shoes thoroughly, so as not to carry the odor from the stable into the kitchen when he went for his breakfast. Nancy, her two younger brothers and her parents ate out in the dining room across from the bar. Joshua kept his proper place at the small table in the kitchen. The routine for his work was much the same as yesterday, except that he was asked to take a scythe and cut some weeds around the tavern, especially in the comers of the fence along the side yard. **************************** Summer continued into fall, and nothing was said about Joshua leaving. His work seemed very satisfactory, and when there was little to do, he was even allowed to work a few hours for farmers at the edge of town, earning a few meager dollars which he hoarded carefully against times of greater need. The stagecoach arrived twice a week from the west, and twice from the east, and if there were no overnight passengers for the rooms upstairs, the work was easier, and Joshua could earn more from outside work. The men in town who frequented the bar all came to know and like the pleasant young black. One group seemed to hang around the bar almost continually. They were five young Confederate soldiers, mostly from farts homes in the valley." They spent most of their time, especially when her father was out, in conversing and flirting with Nancy. She was very friendly and, Joshua felt, a very gullible person. On some days, when her father was away at his mountain farm and her mother upstairs sewing or mending, Joshua noticed that she and one of the boys slipped furtively into a back room, while the other four kept watch. He shook his head sadly at what he was very certain was dangerous conduct for the girl. As winter came on, Joshua was permitted to partition off a small room in the barn, into which he built a bunk, a wall seat and a tiny desk. He had been taught the rudiments of reading by his mother, a partially educated "house wench." Knowing his devoutness, Nancy's mother gave him an old Bible, dog-eared and with torn pages. This he cherished far above his other meager possessions. On quiet winter days she also told him to bring his Bible to the kitchen, and she would help him to better tears to read. 162 As the long winter came to a close and the windy March weather ended, it became visibly evident that Nancy's indiscretions with the five rebel ex-soldiers had their inevitable result; she was going to have a child. Her mother noticed it first, as mothers always do. "Nancy, you've been fooling around with one of those boys, haven't you?" The girl began to cry, and the mother's heart went out to her. 'Never mind that. Just tell me about it. Which one was it?" "Ma, I don't know, honest I don't! I---I--just did it with all of them! I didn't know-- a baby -- nobody told me---." 'Nancy, don't cry so. We won't tell Pa yet. Maybe he won't notice." "But Ma, he'll find out! He has to! Then what?" "Well---, I just don't know. But stop crying. Crying won't help." 'The valley had strong ties to old Virginia, and the people were mostly sympathetic to the South. It happened one April day. He came from the bar into the kitchen unexpectedly, and Nancy was standing in the light from the window. He exploded in hot anger. "Girl, what s.o.b. got you in the family way? Tell me, now! I'll beat his brains out!" He grasped her shoulders and shook her. "Who did it? Tell me! Tell me, or I'll whip it out of ye with a buggy whip!" His voice was wild with desperate anger. It carried out into the bar, where the young men were loafing. One of them came to the kitchen door. "Sir, could I have a word with you?" He turned in confused anger and followed the other out of the room. "We think we better tell you what we saw. You ought to know. Well, we saw Nancy going out to the barn several times, and we got suspicious, so we went behind it where that puncheon board is loose. We looked through the crack and saw 'em, her and Josh, rollin' in the hay." The father ran back into the kitchen. "Nancy! You and that black bastard--I'll kill him! I'll beat you to death!" "Pa, Pa, it wasn't him! They're lyin', honest it wasn't him!" "Listen to the girl, Pa, she's tellin' the truth," the mother cried out. 'No! They all saw it. They all wouldn't lie! Boys, come in here. Are you tellin' me the truth? Did you see 'em'?" "Yes sir, we did," they all declared, "We'll swear it on the Bible it's true." He ran to the back door and threw it open. "Josh, Josh you black nigger devil! Come out of there! Come out, or I'll come and get ye!" "But Pa, he ain't there. He went to cut brush for Crawford," his wife said. 163 By the time Joshua came back, the boys had all gone home, and the tavern-keeper's anger had cooled down a bit. Perhaps a tiny whisper of suspicion had entered his heart. At any rate, as Joshua came around the barn, he heard the harsh voice of his employer demanding his presence. "Josh, you black son of Satan, you got my girl fixed up. I ought to kill you!" "Honest, sir, I wouldn't do that to Miss Nancy, I wouldn't hurt her! Besides, she wouldn't-She wouldn't even touch me! Lord bein' my witness, I wouldn't do a thing like that!" "Don't lie to me! All five of them boys saw you, they swore to it. You take that slut and git! Git out of my house, git off my place, and don't you ever come back!" By this time, both mother and daughter were weeping aloud, and great tears were rolling from Joshua's eyes. "Pa, it's almost dark, they can't go now. They can't even see the road. Don't make 'ern go tonight, please!" "All right, she can stay the night. But you, Josh, git the hell out of ny sight!" And with these words, he plunged into the barroom, and pulling a quart of rye whiskey off the back bar, he poured himself a water glass full, and drank it down almost without a pause for breath. "Nancy, your Pa won't listen to reason. There's no way hell take yours and Joshua's word against them five boys. It breaks my heart, but you'll have to go." Both mother and daughter went upstairs, and started making preparations. "You can take all of your clothes, Nancy. He won't want to see them hangin' around. Lord knows you'll need 'em. She began rolling the clothing into a bundle. She wrapped the clothing in two heavy quilts, dampening the roll with her tears, while Nancy lay sobbing on the bed. Meanwhile, the father had poured himself another glass from the quart of rye, and was rapidly drinking himself into a stupor. As luck would have it, nobody came that night to buy drinks, and they had no out-of-town guests. He didn't even bother to light the kerosene lamps. After a while, he went to the back room, and lay across the bed that had been the couch of his daughter's misconduct. It was hardly a night for Joshua to rest. Sleep was fitful, interspersed with prayer for help and guidance. The boys had said nothing to anyone of the scene in the kitchen, so the community had no word of it yet. As soon as the general store opened, Joshua had gone there and purchased an axe with some of his few hoarded dollars. Some sulphur matches and a waterproof box for them, and five pounds of salt, completed his purchases, and he hurried out the door. Back at the barn, he gathered his duffel bag and the two old comforters given him by Nancy's mother, and went to the back door of the house, where he found the girl and her mother waiting. "Nancy, you can't go out in them mountains without a gun. There's bears and panthers out there. You can take the little muzzle-loader; it's yours anyway, Pa gave it to you. He always uses the big one." She took the rifle from the gun rack on the kitchen wall and handed it to Joshua, along with a little cloth bag of bullets and a horn full of powder. I'll feel better for you with that gun," she said quietly. "Josh, you take good care of my little girl," she said, and began again to mingle her sobs with Nancy's. She seemed to be unwilling to let the girl out of her arms. 164 "You can trust me to do that," said Joshua as he shouldered Nancy's generous bundle on top of his own. He gave his little valise to the girl, who wouldn't even look at him as they started away. A few steps away, she ran back again to her mother's arms, crying aloud. The village was beginning to stir as they crossed the covered bridge on their way. Nancy's father would sleep for several hours, wearing off his hangover. Joshua had the feeling that they should not stay on the main road, since the difference in their skin color was so obvious. When, about a half-mile from the ridge, a trail led off to the southwest along a stream, they turned left along a narrow valley. Nancy was still very quiet, only occasionally sniffling back the tears. She walked a few steps back of Joshua, feeling a dignity of race that she would later lose. She considered Joshua a good friend, but too much beneath her for even a hint of intimacy. In late April there were no berries to assuage the noon-time hunger, but his boyhood experiences came to their rescue. He raked under a large chestnut tree, and found several nuts beneath the leaves. Nancy spoke her first words then. "I didn't think the squirrels would leave any." she said. "Guess there's just too many," Joshua replied After drinking from a little spring by the roadside, they plodded on. He had hoped to shoot a squirrel or rabbit for their supper, but saw no living thing except some small birds. In mid-afternoon they came to the head of the stream, gushing from an unusually large opening in the limestone rock. Drinking here again, they began a steep climb up the mountainside to the west, reaching the top a little before sundown. The wind was quiet, and Joshua knew that it would be several degrees warmer at the top than in the valley. Down the western slope they found a very large log had fallen in the forest. There Joshua built a fire about ten feet from the log, and began to pile up the leaves by the tree side of the fire for Nancy a bed. She began unrolling the covers from the clothing. "Oh, look, Josh, Ma put in some meat and bread and a jar of jelly!" Her voice had a little lilt of happiness. She was very hungry by this time, and the food lifted her spirits. Her mother had been so confused and preoccupied that she could think no further than a picnic lunch for her daughter and her black protector. Nancy gave Joshua a sandwich of the meat and bread then ate ravenously of her portion. They finished the meat by eating some of the jelly on bread. Joshua did not forget to offer thanks to God for the food the good weather, and His care. Tears came to Nancy's eyes as he prayed. Nancy, after the sleepless night before, snored lightly through the whole time of darkness. Joshua, wrapped in the old quilt, on the other side of the fire, stirred several times in the night to replenish the blaze. Morning found them both hungry and thirsty, since they had no water on the mountain top. They hurriedly rewrapped their bundles and continued west down the slope. They very quickly came to a small stream, and eagerly drank their fill. Continuing down the wooded valley, Joshua turned to Nancy with his fingers to his lips. Slowly he lifted the rifle and fired. A wild turkey that had been scratching in the leaves flopped to the ground and Joshua ran quickly forward catching it while it thrashed in the leaves, then decapitating it with the axe. A mile or so beyond, the mountain hollow widened and a nearly level shelf lay on the east side of the little stream, some fifty yards wide. From the profuse growth, Joshua surmised that the soil here was rich. While the hills were steep immediately on the left and right, the land seemed to level off directly ahead. 165 'Nancy, I have a feelin' this is a good place to stay." Nancy didn't answer, but set her bundle down on the leaves, and found a seat on a small log. With his pocket knife, Joshua split the turkey open and removed the entrails, hanging the bird on a small branch he had broken nearby. He then built a fire, and went to the edge of the embankment to the stream, where he found a yellow clay outcrop. He gathered a double handful of this, wetting it in the creek, then climbed back up the bank and proceeded to rub the pasty clay into the feathers of the bird. Using a forked bush nearby and a small pole with one end stuck in the ground, he improvised a spit over the fire and impaled the turkey by the feet over the flames. "Josh, you can do 'most everything, can't you?" Nancy exclaimed "Poor folks have to make do," he replied, putting more wood on the fire. In about two hours they were dining on roast turkey, salted from Joshua's sack he had foresightedly purchased the morning before. One slice of the bread was left from the night before, and some of the jelly. Joshua refused any of it, insisting that Nancy eat it. After the meal, Joshua took the axe and cut two forked sticks about six feet long and drove them into the ground about eight feet apart. He then cut a pole and laid it in the forks, placing other longer poles with one end on the ground and the other on the elevated pole. He had sighted some hemlock trees a few yards down the creek, and he cut a generous supply of branches and placed them on the frame of poles as a shelter. More hemlock branches were used as a floor under the shed This would be their temporary home. Leaving Nancy by the fire, he scouted the area, to see if he could find more food. His first find was a lily-like plant growing through the leaves. He pulled one, finding a small, onion-like bulb. It had a rather rank smell. Joshua knew he had found ramps, a food considered a delicacy by the mountain people. Marking the place, he continued to the more level area to the south. There he found a swampy place, with a generous supply of cattails. Joshua knew that the bulbous roots made a good substitute for potatoes, and the young shoots tasted like asparagus. He gathered some of each, and returning by the ramp patch took a few of these also. The turkey had some pleasant supplements for the evening meal. The next morning saw the beginning of a small pole cabin with one end open for a fire. Much later, Joshua would build a conventional hewed log house of yellow poplar near where the lean-to now was. In a couple of weeks, Joshua knew he would have to go back to the town for supplies. They had not provided for cooking utensils or dishes, and both he and Nancy were hungry for bread of some kind. He dreaded what be might experience in going back to the scene of their recent sorrow. He loaded the gun for Nancy. She was somewhat skilled in shooting it, and he didn't want to leave her defenseless in his absence. He started at daylight, and by early noon reached the settlement. Events were not nearly as bad as he had imagined. One of the five young men had made the mistake of telling boastfully how they had victimized Joshua and shamed Nancy, and someone told the tavern-keeper about it. Fearing his wrath, the five had left the community. Sentiment for Nancy was rather deep, and pity for both her and Joshua modified the attitude of the whole town. Nancy's father had nothing to say about either of them, and the quiet mother grieved in silence. As the young black passed the tavern, Nancy's younger brothers had seen him, and saying nothing to their father, had followed him to the general store, where he was purchasing his needs with what was left of his meager savings. 166 "Josh, how's Nancy? Where's she at? You bring her with you?" The boys questions were eager. "I'm glad to see you, boys. Me and Nancy are livin' over the mountain." "Can we go back with you? We want to see Nancy." "What'll your Pa say?" "Oh, he won't know it. We'll ask Ma. She won't care; she'll be glad. Pa'll think we went night-huntin'." They dashed off to whisper the news to Nancy's mother and get her consent for the trip. The men in the store, while not overly friendly, were not hostile. Joshua made his purchases and started back. He was joined by the boys as he reached the other side of the bridge. They helped him carry his load and they reached the lean-to about dark. Nancy's joy at seeing her brothers was a delight for Joshua to see. The boys stayed overnight, sleeping in the leaves on the ground. The next day they helped Joshua lift the poles to the higher levels of the cabin walls, and then left for home. "We'll be back. We had fun!" they said. **************************** "Josh, what'll we do when the baby comes?" asked Nancy a few days later. "I'll guess we'll make out," Joshua replied. "I've helped birth some pigs and cows, and helped Ma when one of the girls on the plantation had a baby." In mid-July the child was born, with Joshua the only help she had. She had cried out a few times, and had acted very embarrassed that Joshua had to see her so intimately. The child was, naturally all white, with very blond hair. Up until he did the necessary ministrations, Joshua had not even touched Nancy in any way. But when the birth was over, a new bond of trust seemed to build between him and the girl. He washed the baby, wrapped it in an old dress of Nancy's and placed it in her arms. It was evidently not well, perhaps suffering from Nancy's poor diet. Joshua had completed the three-sided cabin before the birth of the baby. He laid poles across the single-slope shed roof. He found a small sapling with a large knot near the ground. He cut the white oak off under the knot, then left three feet of the pole at the top for a handle, making a serviceable maul. With this, he was able to use the axe as a wedge and split off enough puncheon boards to cover the roof. Having no nails, he laid heavy poles on these to hold them in place. The child's birth was a kind of celebration of finished work. The next week, Nancy's brothers came again, and were shown the tiny baby. They were so excited that they rushed home and blurted out before their dad, "Nancy had her baby, and it is white!" The man began again cursing the five boys who had sworn to a lie. One night a little later, Nancy called out to Joshua, "The baby can't get its breath! Ma always put lamp oil and turpentine in boiling water and let the baby breathe the fumes, but we don't have any. They could only hold the child in their arms and watch it die. Nancy was almost hysterical with grief, and Joshua wept, mostly for her. In the morning, he used his axe again and shaped a crude shovel. A few hundred yards up the hollow, he found a level place in the forest, trimmed away the brush, and dug a tiny gave in the rocky soil. He had to give up digging when he struck the clay sub-soil, at about three feet. Using a board left from the cabin roof, he cut six lengths as a rough casket. He gathered soft leaves and covered the bottom board, and laid the last one aside for a 167 cover. Nancy sat on a nearby log, holding the dead baby and weeping. Joshua tenderly took the child from her and laid it in the grave. Then, lifting his face toward the sky, he prayed: "Dear Lord, we give this little child to you. You know best why she had to die. Help Nancy believe it is for the best. Amen." Placing the last board over the body, he began filling up the gave. When all the soil was mounded up over it, he gathered stones and piled them over the dirt. When it was finished, Nancy threw herself on the pile of rocks and cried "My baby! My baby!" Joshua lifted her up, and for the first time, she threw her arms around his neck, weeping aloud. He led her, sobbing and crying, back to the cabin, and placed her on the bunk he had built across the back of the one room. She refused the leg of squirrel meat he had warmed for her supper. Finally, completely exhausted she drifted off to sleep. Joshua sat down on the log seat he had hewed and placed along the wall near the open end of the room, by the dying embers of the supper fire. He sensed strongly the crisis they were approaching in their relationship. Nancy was not a pretty girl, but she had regular features, a bit more rugged than many women. He knew what was happening to him in his heart, and it frightened him. He knew that state law would not let them marry and that if they stayed together she would always carry the double stigma of living with a black man and in what the community labeled fornication. He sat in agony for hours, then began to pray. Very late in the night, it suddenly came to him: They could be married in the sight of God, without a license or clergyman! If he guessed rightly, Nancy would soon be seeking an answer to the same problem he had faced. At the first opportunity, he would offer her the solution he had found in the night. Nancy awakened early, and lay on the rough bed, thinking. She recalled the comfort of Joshua's arms at the grave and during the walk back to the cabin. She had a deep respect for his religious faith, but could only guess what he felt for her. She could walk away from him, hoping somehow to return to the good gates of her father, or perhaps go elsewhere, hoping to find work for her keep with some prosperous family. But as she considered that step, she realized that she didn't want to leave Joshua. Awakening in his bed on the dirt floor, Joshua arose and went to Nancy's bed to inquire how she felt. Lying there awake, she suddenly smiled at him and reached out to take his hand. "Josh, you're so good to me!" she spoke softly. He knelt by the bunk, and she reached out to him with both arms. "Oh, Josh, what'll we do?" she cried. 'Nancy, do you care for me?" His voice trembled a bit as he spoke. 'Josh, I've been lyin' here thinkin'. Yes, I do. I thought about leavin' here, but I know I don't want to." "I don't want you to leave, Nancy, God help me, I've come to love you!" 'But we can't go on living together like this, can we?" "Nancy, the law says I can't marry you. But there's nothing in God's law says we can't marry! Get up and eat something now, and we'll talk about it some more." He stood and pulled her to her feet, and again her arms went around his neck, and he pulled her to him with a stronger emotion than he had dared let himself feel before. They ate breakfast, corn bread and hot water flavored with teaberry leaves, and some wild plums they had found growing on the ridge above the cabin. 168 "Nancy, we can marry each other, and we don't even need a preacher. I'll think of the words to say to you before God, and you can say the same things to me. The Lord won't hold it against us if there's no preacher." "Let me think about it awhile," Nancy said "Take all the time you want!" That night he left her in the cabin and walked for hours in the moonlight, rehearsing what he would say, praying for help that he might restrain himself in his desire for her. When he had the words, he went back, and found Nancy asleep. He was thankful for this, and slept fitfully through the few hours till daylight. **************************** "Nancy, 'fore Almighty God, I take you for my wife. I promise to love you and take care of you till we die, and be faithful to you." "Joshua, I promise to do the same, and I take you for my husband." "Lord, You heard these promises we made to each other. We made them before you, and we ask you to help us be faithful to each other. We do thank you we got each other, and our good health. Watch over us, Lord, we pray. Amen." **************************** Joshua's time was spent weatherproofing the cabin. He filled the chinks between the poles with moss from logs in the forest, binding it with clay from the creek bank. Using the same yellow clay, he laid up a stone fireplace. The mud would dry in the heat and make a good mortar. Using poles, he enclosed the opening on one side of the fireplace, leaving the other side open for a door. He chopped out an opening in the south for a window, hewing out a slab from the same log he had used for shingles to close the opening in cold weather. Later he would kill a bear, and hang the cured skin over the door. Nancy's brothers came over later in the autumn and carried back the news of the baby's death to her parents. They both felt a secret relief. A white child in a black household would bring questions. The first child came early the next summer. They named him Richard. The previous fall, a lone hunter from the west side of the mountain stopped at the cabin. From him they learned of a tiny village just four miles from them with a small store. The storekeeper also bought furs, so Joshua found a new source of cash in the hides of wild animals he would kill during the winter. From a ten-foot section of a large yellow poplar tree, he hewed a deep trough which he placed along the wall of the cabin. When the weather turned cool, he shot a deer and a fat bear, and salted down enough meat in the trough for the entire winter. They dried wild fruit and gathered nuts also. The furs he sold to the storekeeper brought enough cash for the flour, meal, sugar and other supplies. After their son was born, Joshua began to think of the future. What about the land where the cabin stood? Could he be evicted from it? He had cleared enough space for a garden, and planted vegetables, but he also wanted pasture for cows and sheep. They knew that Nancy had a first cousin who kept records at the courthouse. The Homestead 169 Act had just been passed by Congress, and when Joshua walked the 13 miles once more to inquire about the land, he was delighted at the good news. With the clerk's help he filed for 300 acres on the east side of the small stream to the top of the ridge extending southwest to include some of the level land where Joshua had found the cattail pond. Nancy's cousin knew the whole story about the couple, and was sympathetic to them. He said nothing to Joshua about the small filing fee, but paid it himself. About a half mile up the hollow from the cabin was a large grove of great sugar maples. Joshua had learned from white neighbors west of his place that the sweet sap of these trees could be made into syrup and sugar. He asked about the method of collecting the sap, secured a T-augur at the general store, and was ready when mid-March sunshine called up the sap from the maple roots. Since it was such a large grove, he developed it into what would be his main cash source. His maple sugar was in high demand because the people knew that he didn't add white sugar to dilute his product. Another boy was born to Nancy and Joshua, and they named him Commodore. Two girls, Belle and Delphia, and then a boy, Bernard completed their family. With land in the valleys being rapidly taken, white families began to settle on the rocky ridges. Four families built log homes on the ridge up the mountain from Joshua's home. Having completed his own large log house, he helped them build their homes in the same method and pattern. His nearest white neighbors were named Brady. **************************** Money from the maple sugar kept coming in, and Joshua saved it, dreaming of the day when his children might go away to school. When four more black families came to the hollow, Joshua sold them land and began, with their help, to build a log school house, and began a "subscription" school. The white families, spurred on by this action, also started a school just across the road and black and white children played together at noon and recess times." Joshua also realized another dream, and organized a small Methodist class of blacks. The white people did not follow this example, but when the blacks had revivals in the school building, the whites would attend. When the boy, Commodore, had finished the grades in the little schoolhouse, he was sent to the black school at Institute, W. Va. where he finished high school and a year or two of college. There he met and married a mulatto girl, and moved back to the new county seat town which was rapidly building along the new railroad, six miles north of the old courthouse. The oldest son, Dick, married a black girl from the valley. Joshua helped him build a home just below the sugar camp. Dick contracted pneumonia while still a young man, and died. Joshua took on the added responsibility of his son's household. When an occasional traveler came up the mountain road, Joshua would always insist that he stay for a meal. He would take a pan of water and some soap and wash his hands in the presence of the visitor, saying "You see, we's clean folks. The black won't wash off." **************************** 170 One incident will reveal something of Joshua's faith. The second Brady son (my father) was sent down the hill to get Joshua to help with some heavy task. Nancy told the boy that he was up at the cornfield. Arriving at the field he stood behind the rail fence, waiting till the old man reached the end of the com row. Every few yards Joshua would stop, lean on his hoe handle, raise his face to the sky, his lips moving silently. A smile lit his black face. "Who ya talkin' to, Josh," my Dad asked Startled the man answered "Huh? Oh, bless God, jes' talkin' to my Saviour." Some fifty years later, Joshua's shining witness would help my father to believe in that same Saviour, and to become a Christian. My father, Walter P. Brady finished the four grades in the white school on the mountain. When he was grown and married, he moved back to the Brady house on the hill. I was the oldest child, just six months of age. My mother was in poor health. Joshua would often say to his daughters, Belle and Delphia, "Girls, go up and clean Mrs. Brady's house for her, and do her washin’. She's not well." When that work was done, the girls would often take me back with them, keeping me the rest of the day, while my mother rested When I was two years old Joshua died Mother took me to the funeral, and held me in her arms as she looked down into the white casket. The sight of that black face, surrounded by white suit and on a white pillow, burned itself into my memory. The weeping, and the tenseness frightened me, and I began to scream, and Mother had to carry me outside. Years later, she was amazed to have me ask, "Mommy, did I ever see a black face with white all around it?" It was my earliest memory. All the other families, both black and white, had moved away from the poor mountain farms to find employment in the valley. The railroad had brought coal mining and other industries, and work was plentiful. Joshua's youngest son, Bernard developed cancer of the face, and died soon after his father, with his features horribly disfigured The girls, left alone with nobody to care for the stock or make the maple sugar, moved to the city. My family was the last one left of the settlement, finally leaving there about nine years later. Joshua had several grandchildren. Two of them became teachers, one in a college and the other in a large university. Another grandson became a physician. **************************** That summer day in 1980, as we drove back down the hill by Joshua's old homesite, we could see only a few square yards of weedy grass left near the cold stream that flowed from the spring at the edge of the old clearing. Trees, some over two feet across, grew in the old fields. And what of the graves where Joshua, Nancy, Dick, Bernard several black children, and one tiny white baby are buried?. The tombstones are toppled, and almost buried in the leaves and rotting forest debris. They will probably never be located or visited again. **************************** 171 Should you reach Heaven some day, you will surely see a black face, shining with holy joy, gazing at the one who said "I am the light," and if you ask, "Who are you looking at, Josh?" We know his reply, "Oh, bless God, just lookin' at my Saviour." 172 WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE AND HISTORY J O H N D . J O H N D . R O C KE F E L LE R IV , G O V ER N O R NORMAN L. FAGAN, COMMISSIONER March 17, 1982 Mr. Troy R. Brady P. 0. Box 5 Singers Glen, VA 22850 Dear Mr. Brady: Thank you for sending the "Joshua Green" manuscript. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but unfortunately will be unable to publish it, at least in its present form. Although I'm tempted to throw rules aside in a case like this, your fictionalization will not fit well in our nonfiction format. However, you do have a powerful story which I'd like to see in GOLDENSEAL, one way or another. Can you adapt it, dropping some of the more obviously fictional elements - the reconstruction of dialogue, in particular? I assume the story is based closely on local legend and family lore, and you might want to rely on this in rewriting - for example, attributing important points to legend rather than conveying them through invented conversation. I think you will find that much of your writing can stand as it is, although the piece will necessarily get shorter as you telescope conversations down to a paragraph or two each. This is fine, for our ideal length is about 20 pages. Some parts are already perfect for our purposes, such as the introduction and the last few pages, where you bring your own family directly into the story. This adaptation would not preclude your publication of the fictionalized version in some other publication, of course. Thanks also for the 510 contribution, which will certainly place your name on our mailing list. And do let me know what you think about a re-write. Sincerely, KEN SULLIVAN Editor, GOLDENSEAL KS:ms THE CULTURAL CENTER / CAPITOL COMPLEX / CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA / 25305 / 304•348•0220 173 Holy Hilarity Spring, 1983 I hope God has a sense of humor. There have been hundreds of theological giggles and ecclesiastical belly-laughs to color the years I pent have spent in the Christian ministry. Some of them came out of my own experiences; many more were told to me by other pastors. Some of the stories could have happened to any one in my calling, while others came out of the Appalachian folk stories of the hill country. I have often thought of writing down these tales and incidents, but seemingly more important matters took my time. Now I am convinced that we are living in such times of tension that demand humor as a basic need The untimely death of the Rev. Grady Neff, purveyor of the brand of humor I speak about, and popular with "Hillbilly" fans of "Hee Haw" on television, makes it more important that some of these stories be set down. I have heard him tell some tales which started about some of my own acquaintances in the hills of Virginia and West Virginia. No doubt some of these stories were invented "out of whole cloth" by folk who just enjoyed "getting one" on the preacher. However, many more of them have a strictly factual basis. There will be no strict order in the telling of these anecdotes. Perhaps a kind of historical order would be appropriate. The Gospel came to the mountain people by many and devious ways. Some of the earliest came by horseback, riding the steep mountain trails. The Presbyterians sent out many missionaries to the backwoods, to isolated cabins up the `cricks and hollers' of my home state. It is told of one such, that he rode up to a trappers shack, and from the safety of the top of his horse, called out in the manner of the day: "Hello, the house." A slatternly woman came to the door and called "light, stranger, and come on in." Once inside, he introduced himself and said, "I'm a Presbyterian missionary." "Never heered of one of them." "Do you have a Bible?" he inquired "What's that?" "Well, it's a book. I have some in my saddlebags. I'll give you one." 'Ain't no use. I can't read." "Are there any Presbyterians about here?" "Not as I know of. But my man's a trapper, an' if there's any hereabouts, he's probably caught one. You kin look out on the back of the cabin. He's got all kinds of hides out that." Desperately now, "Lady have you never heard of God?" 174 'Hope, can't say as I have. Now, wait a minute. I b'leeve I heard my husband mention him. Is his last name 'Damn'?" That is the earliest story as far as history is concerned. My Father told it to me. "Preacher Bob" was one of the earliest I remember. He had my mother's funeral, in 1921. He often told of the first time he saw his wife. She came riding up to his father's home, and called out "Hello." Bob was converted from a wayward life, and that afternoon, he was lying in the hayloft, well under the influence of alcohol. When his bride-to-be called out "Hello," he answered back "Hell high!" I was not a converted Christian myself until I was past 23 years old. My first pastor was Harry Miller. He told me some of his earlier experiences as a circuit rider. He drove a two-horse rig, so he could give rides to people walking to his churches. As he drove up to one home, a small boy said, "Preacher, is both of them horses yours?" "Yes, sonny," he replied. "That's funny," said the boy. "My Pap said you was just a one-horse preacher." One Sunday after morning services, he was asked to go home with a family for dinner. On the way, the man said: "We're having chicken for dinner." Brother Miller boasted several times about how he liked chicken. When they arrived at the house, the farmer went to put the horse and buggy away. The pastor took his small son by the hand and walked out to inspect the place. One of the chickens in the yard staggered and fell, and then another. Brother Miller said, "Your chickens are sick, aren't they, son?" "Yep. One died this morning. Ma cooked it for dinner. Pap said the preacher wouldn't know the difference." At the table, the father passed the plate of chicken, saying, "Help yourself, preacher. We've had chicken so much we're tired of it, so eat all you want." To the man's amazement, the pastor said, "No, thank you. I don't care for chicken." At another church across the mountain, he used the story as an illustration. He didn't know that the family who had the sick chickens also had an aunt who was in the audience, and knew about the pastors refusal. She told that family how he knew, and the father whipped the boy for telling. Bro. Miller said, "I had a notion to go over there and whip the father!" **************************** Brother Miller was noted for his plain speech. When one of his members started keeping his store open on Sundays, the pastor visited him. "Well, Brother Miller, you know what the Bible says about the ox falling in the ditch." "Yes, but if I had an ox that fell in the ditch every Sunday, I'd either shoot the ox or fill up the ditch, one or the other!" **************************** One saintly man of God of our Conference was Dr. 7. M. Knight. He was from Tennessee, and while in college, had a student appointment to preach in a tiny mountain church in east Tennessee. He reached his appointment by riding the train to Elizabethton. On his first trip there, a number of students from another college rode with him. One girl especially interested Dr. Knight, and he conversed with her until they reached the depot 175 in Elizabethton. When he descended the steps, he met an overgrown teen-ager in a straw hat, too-short overalls and a blue denim shirt. The boy was barefoot. He said, "Be you the preacher?" Dr. Knight hustled him around the corner before the students on the coach got sight of him. The boy led him to a little burro with a saddle, and said, "You ride. I'll lead." Knowing what a yell would go up from his new friends on the train if he rode from behind the station on the burro, he kept delaying, hoping the train would pull out. Finally, the boy said, "We better go, Preacher. We'll be late for church." Reluctantly he climbed aboard the burro, asked the boy to hand up his suitcase, which he placed on the horn of the saddle in front of him. He then opened his umbrella and pulled it down over his ears, hoping he could hide from the group on the train. The boy led the procession out into the street. The engine was taking on water, and remained stationary. When the college crowd saw the odd parade, a loud yell and cheer went up from the coach! He was led down the long street toward the river. It was Sunday afternoon, and families were sitting on their front porches, some laughing openly at the sight. When they finally reached the river, the boy said, "I be lost! I didn't come in this way." and turning back, they went back up the long street to more laughs from the folk on their porch swings and rockers. Dr. Knight knew what humiliation meant. In those early days, the churches held revivals in the summer time, since the roads were too muddy in the winter. Dr. Knight started a series of meetings at his little country church, so small it didn't have side aisles, but pushed the homemade benches against the wall, leaving a small center aisle. The offering was received in a velvet bag, on a small hoop on the end of a long pole. One evening, just in time for the service, a very tall, skinny mountaineer and his companion came in. The church was almost full, so they were seated on the front pew. The almost seven-foot man had a large chew of tobacco in his jaw. When offering time came, the usher started at the back of the room. The young preacher waited in dread anticipation. When the little velvet bag was thrust under the man's nose, he said, very loudly: "N--no, thanks, b'leeve I kin holder till I git outside." Later in the services, the lanky man came forward and knelt at the old-fashioned mourner's bench. In the congregation was a blind man who had great power in prayer. He was led up to kneel beside the barefoot fellow to pray for him. He placed his hand on the seeker's head while he prayed. The amt tired, and he lowered it, encountering the two bare heels of the seeker. He prayed that the Lord would bless the two "little fellers" who had come along to the altar with the mountaineer. **************************** One of the older ministers of the Conference was noted as a glutton. He would eat three times as much as an ordinary man. At an "All-day meetin' and dinner-on-the-ground," he ate too much and became deathly ill. He went inside the church building and laid down on one of the pews. As the men gathered around him, he said, "Brethren, I think I'm going to die." "Brother S--, you wouldn't be afraid to die, would you?" 176 "He replied, 'No, but I would be awfully ashamed to!" **************************** I was pastor of one little chapel at the foot of a mountain. One man, who lived on the top of the mountain, was an unbeliever. He couldn't talk plainly. He and his wife, Dora, whom he called "Dodie," never missed a service of a revival. The people at the tiny church had a childlike faith. I called on one of the brethren to pray, and he prayed, "O Lord take the Devil out of our community. Take him clean up to the top of Laurel Mountain." The other man was listening carefully, and he cried out, "Oh, my Dod, don't do dat! Dat's where me and Dodie wives!" **************************** The Rev. Millard Floyd tells of a man from the French Creek area of West Virginia, who was noted for telling funny stories. His name was Dan Jones, a teacher and principal of high schools. One day he was telling a good one, and his wife said "What do you suppose the Lord will say to you in heaven with you telling all these stories?" Dan replied, "Well, I hope he says, "Dan, have you heard any good ones lately?" Dr. F. H. Capehart was my first Conference Superintendent. He had served on poor country circuits, where the people would supplement the meager salaries by having "pound parties" for the pastor's family. My First charge was one of five churches, 58 miles around the circuit. The salary was $340.00 per year, in the hardest years of the depression. Dr. Capehart was holding our Quarterly Meeting, and knew of our desperate need of food. He said "You people get busy and have some pound parties for the preacher." Then, remembering some of his earlier experiences, he said, "And don't bring him any old mouldy apple butter, either!" **************************** Some of the spiritual food Dr. Capehart dished out didn't agree with his congregation, and he knew it. He illustrated it with a note about one of their own babies, whose formula made the child ill. Dr. C. said, "I carried that baby for nine months, night and day." After the service, his wife said "I'll have you know that I had something to do with carrying that baby for nine months!" **************************** The Rev. R. L Clark was our neighboring pastor on the old Harrisville Charge. He was called upon to preach the funeral sermon for a man who came to one of his churches. The man was a very evil person, who had no relatives and few friends. Brother Clark chose as his text Ecclesiastes 8:10: "And I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity." **************************** 177 Another excellent story-teller was the Rev. O. H. Carder. He told of one mother who had read one morning about a child who had stuffed a bean up its nose and had to have a doctor extract it. A little later, she told her children, Now, kids, I have to go to the store for a few minutes. You kids be good and don't stuff any beans up your noses." I hardly need tell you what happened in her short absence! **************************** A mentally retarded boy in Carder’s church was often hired to do work about the church and parsonage. The boy was learning to smoke cigarettes, and they were discouraging it. A movie show was almost 'tabu' for ministers in those days, but Carder had heard of a good one, and attended it. One morning the boy came over and asked if there was any work he could do. The preacher said "If we pay you, you'll just go buy cigarettes." The boy replied "I'll smoke cigarettes just as long as the preacher goes to movie shows." (Not so retarded after all.) **************************** My good friend the Rev. R. L Brill, of the Virginia Conference, told me several anecdotes of that area. One had to do with a Brethren preacher from West Virginia who came from that area to attend a yearly meeting at Elkton, Va. The Brethren practice "Trine Immersion," baptizing by thrusting the candidate into the water three times. While the yearly meeting proceeded a heavy rain caused the South River to rise. When the preacher and his wife tried to ford the stream in their buggy, the current swept them down river, lodging them against the N. & W. Railroad bridge abutment. A man rode his horse into the river to rescue them. When he came near, the preacher cried out, "Take me first! Take me first! I'm afraid of water!" His wife said disgustedly, "Josiah, you, a Brethren preacher, afraid of water!" **************************** The Virginia Conference, United Brethren, had one minister who was a tiny man with a high, squeaky voice. He was sent to Highland County to serve the few rural churches there. One church had a very high and wide pulpit. The first morning for the new preacher, he came very early, and sat down behind the big pulpit. Nobody knew he was there. When time came for the service, he stood on tiptoe behind that big desk and spoke the words of his biblical text dramatically: 'It is I, be not afraid." **************************** Bishop W. M. Weekley, a native West Virginian, wrote a small book entitled Twenty Years on Horseback, or Itinerating in West Virginia. In it he tells many amusing stories. Here is one he didn't include: One of the Bishop's early appointments was the old Union Circuit, in Mason County. Bro. Daniel Hart, a member of Union Church, the oldest church in the Conference, told his pastor he felt called to preach. Bro. Weekley said "Very well. I am to preach at Vernon next Sunday night. I may not make it there, or will be very late, so you preach for me." 178 Sunday night, Brother Hart led the service, and then came to the sermon. His text was Matt. 19:25: "Who then can be saved?" Just as he was ready to read it, his pastor came in the door at the rear, and stood near the wall. Brother Hart read his text, "Who then can be saved?" Waiting a little, he read it again, and the third time, "Who then can be saved?" He stood there, unable to think of a word to say. Finally he said, Brother Weekley, come up here and tell them about this text. You know more about it than I do!" Years later, Bishop Weekley was to preach at Union Camp ground, and drove by Dan Hart's home. Uncle Dan, almost blind, sat in a chair on his lawn. The Bishop called out from his automobile, "Who then can be saved?" The aged Daniel Hart answered, "Hello there, Brother Weekley." **************************** The Rev. H. L Koontz was my predecessor as pastor in Elkins, W. Va. One of his favorite stories was about a farmer who had been convinced that a prophecy about the Lord's return was true. When the day came for our Lord's return, the farmer wrapped a white sheet about him for a robe, climbed the highest hill on his farm to await the Lord's coming at midnight. To be a bit closer to heaven, the true believer climbed atop a strawstack on the hill. After an all night vigil, he was very sleepy. Some mischievous boys had followed the man to the hilltop. When the sun arose, and shone warmly on the watcher, he fell asleep. The boys set fire to the strawstack. Upon awakening the farmer cried, "Judgment Da-a-a-y! And me in Hell, just as I expected!" **************************** The parsonage at Elkins was near the court house, so ministers living there were often called upon for weddings. One older man, who had lived with a woman for years and had several children, stopped to ask if the Rev. Koontz would marry him to the woman, which he did a few days later. One day about a year later, Koontz saw the man on the street and asked about the marriage, which had been forced by their asking for Social Security benefits. The man said, "I divorced her." When the minister expressed surprise, the old man said, "She was a damn good woman till I married her." **************************** Bro. Koontz was often called upon to conduct funerals for unsavory characters. One such was for a man who had married, had two children, and then left them for a woman the Rev. Koontz called a "floozy." The "floozy" infected him with syphilis, and the man died of it. At the rural chapel, both his wife and the "girl friend" were present. After the sermon, the wife insisted that the casket be opened, lifted the body in her arms, and wailed long and loud. The "Floozy" came up and said, "You've had him long enough! Let me have him a while!" **************************** 179 My good friend, the Rev. James Reed, tells of a man who was noted for his stubbornness and bad temper. He would not go to church, but would take his wife in the buggy and return for her. One morning he had difficulty hitching the horse to the buggy, grabbed an axe, and proceeded to cut the spokes out of the buggy wheels. When he was through, his wife took the axe and did the same thing to his farm wagon. He said, "Why did you do that?" She answered, "Same reason you cut down the buggy wheels." It almost cured him. He kept his temper for almost six months. He had planted a small patch of oats, and when he cut the oats, it rained an them every time they were ready to take in. Finally, when they were dry enough, and had blackened with mildew, he and the boys got them on the wagon, and were ready to start to the shed. The old man heard it thunder and said, "Huh! Brewin' for another oats patch, are ye? I'll just fix ye." He struck a match and set fire to the oats, burning up wagon and all. The boys unhitched the mules from the wagon in time to prevented complete disaster. He was looking for his hatchet, which the boys had loaned to a neighbor. The more he looked, the more angry he became. When he was boiling mad, the neighbor boy brought back the hatchet. He had a 35-foot well, and threw the hatchet down the well, saying, "Now, damn ya, next time I want ya I'll know where to find ya." One winter morning he got out of bed barefoot, and was stirring the ashes out of the old Burnside stove. A red-hot coal rolled out of the stove and lodged between his big toe and the second one. He just set his foot up on the hearth rim of the stove and said, "Fry, dadbum ye, fry!" **************************** One story I forgot to include came from the Rev. O. H. Carder. He told me of one wouldbe preacher whose ideas about moving were quite up-to-date. When he was assigned to the Ben's Run Circuit, second poorest in the state, from the very poorest one, Carder was curious about his mode of transportation. He could have gone in those days by wagon, railroad or steamboat. To Bro. Carder's question about how he had moved the man said: 'I didn't have any movin' plunder. Just tied the hounds on behind the buggy and drove through." **************************** When Carder was moved from a country circuit to a small station charge, he said "They thought they were promoting me, but I preached to about four times as many people on the circuit!" The folks on the circuit had a farewell party for him. As they were passing in line to shake his hand and tell him goodbye, one dear sister very tearfully said "Brother Carder, we hate to see you go.You can't preach a lick, but me love you just the same!" While in seminary, we had rooms at a home in which the wife was a member of a sect which taught that a person could be saved, sanctified, and after that experience, could not possibly sin. But when she became angry at a neighbor, she told her, "I can just lay my religion down, give you a good going over, and then pick my religion up and put it back on again! I was working nights as a watchman at an iron foundry. An old black gentleman worked there as a janitor. When I told him about what the woman said, he replied, "You know 180 what kind of religion I call that. That is "spiggot" religion. You can turn it on and off whenever you want to." From Rowtown to Junior By Troy R. Brady (From Goldenseal, West Virginia Traditional Life, Volume 10 Number 1, Spring 1984, pp 28-33) (Someone in Junior told us that this article of Troy's increased the subscription list for the Goldenseal magazine; that all of the town subscribed for the paper because they wanted the article. -- E. T. B.) It all began because of a mid-19th century flood in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. As tragic as this event was, it had the good effect of sending a strong German family across the mountains into what later became West Virginia. They put down deep roots there, and the story of the Row family has been intertwined with the history of the Barbour County town of Junior ever since. I learned the early part of the story while my wife and I searched courthouse records for information about my ancestors. In the town of Woodstock, Virginia, I found the names of Benjamin Row and Sarah Rinehart in marriage records dated March 4, 1830. Information is sketchy about the first years of their marriage, but by 1840 they had acquired four children and about 350 acres of hillside on the South Fork of the Shenandoah River. The place included a mill and mill dam. The Rows seem to have been well settled and might have stayed there, had not disaster struck. It was sometime in the early 1840's that flood waters swept away the mill and dam. The disheartened Rows sold their land and prepared to move away. Looking for high ground, "Benny" Row set his eyes on the mountains to the westward. He moved his family across to the Tygarts Valley and bought about the same amount of acreage in the extreme southern end of newly created Barbour County. Benny Row--the old German name was Rau--built a new mill on his new land. Having seen enough high water, this time he chose to construct an undershot mill which did not require a large dam; a low wall and mill race directed the water under the wheel. Benny and Sarah's only son, Andrew Jackson Row, and three sisters grew up in a log house not far from the mill. Through some whimsy, the Rows had chosen to name their daughters Julia Ann, Polly Ann, and Mary Ann. The Rows lived together in the log house they'd built until the children started moving away. Two left on Christmas Day, 1855, when Andrew Jackson and his sister Julia Ann were married in a double wedding ceremony to a brother and sister by the name of Williams. Mary Ann married a Viquesney, from one of three French Huguenot families who had settled in the growing village. (The other Huguenot families, bearing the names Elbon and Shomo--the latter from the French "de Chaumont"-later married into the Row family, as well.) Polly Ann Row married "Uncle Sammy" Latham, an immigrant Englishman who was noted for his unusually slow manner of speech. As the only son, Andrew Jackson inherited his father's land and seems to have been the family leader in the second generation. "A. J." Row was an enterprising man. He started a 181 general store in connection with the mill and soon a post office was opened in the store building. it bore the name "Rowtown," with A. J. Row as first postmaster. With his father dead and his sisters married, A. J. Row was left to perpetuate the family name. He had no trouble. He and his first wife, Delilah Williams, produced seven children. The oldest was a son, William Alva, and the second a daughter, Mary Elizabeth. She became my grandmother after her marriage to Granville B. Brady of Upshur County. Delilah Row died in childbirth in 1873, and A. J. later remarried, to a Fitzgerald. They had three daughters before Row's death in 1905. The major property again went to the eldest son, with William Alva Row taking over the family general store upon his fathers death. William Alva's brother, James Benjamin, also settled in Rowtown. The mill was sold to William Simon, a cousin by his marriage to one of the Viquesney daughters. Simon moved the mill about a mile up Tygarts Valley River, to the mouth of Beaver Creek. The family had apparently forgotten old Benny Row's fear of high water, and a regular mill dam was constructed. Simon operated the mill at the new site until the 1920's. Rowtown people were from a mixed religious and ethnic heritage-by the surnames, they were German, Protestant French, Welsh, English, and Scotch-Irish--but one church served them all. Called the Coffman Church, it stood on a high sandstone cliff near the main community. The church was abandoned in the early 1900's and the building destroyed. Only a well-filled graveyard marks the place today. The cliff at Coffman Church itself became an important site in the community as a major regional quarry. The cliff was an outcropping of the Homewood (locally called "Roaring Creek") sandstone, the hard geologic stratum which makes up most of the canyons and plateaus of the western Allegheny area. Stone was quarried there for the Randolph Comity courthouse, for U. S. Senator Henry Gassaway Davis' "Graceland" mansion in Elkins, and for the culverts on the Western Maryland Railroad My grandfather Brady was killed in a rock fall at the quarry in 1898. Quarrying continued as a local industry until about 1900, but was surpassed in economic importance by the opening of coal mines in the area. Outcroppings of the Middle and Lower Kittanning coal veins were discovered in the early 1890's. Although the coal surfaced just below the Row store and post office the family received no direct gain from mining, for mineral rights had been sold to Senator Davis and associates in old Benny Row's lifetime. The rights reportedly brought from $5 to $15 per acre. This was an excellent price at the time, presumably reflecting the fact that Benny Row also gave up surface land for a coal tipple, coke ovens, and railroad station. He also ceded right-ofway to the new railroad being built down the Tygarts Valley from Elkins to connect with the Baltimore & Ohio line pushing upriver from Grafton to Belington. Senator Davis and his partner, son-in-law, and eventual successor in the Senate, Stephen B. Elkins, owned the railroad as well as the mines, and Rowtown was pulled closer into the orbit of that powerful industrial family. Davis and Elkins did not own much of the community itself, however, for Benny Row had shrewdly reserved most of the surface land. The land was passed on within the family or sold in small parcels to individuals who would build their own houses and businesses. Thus Rowtown avoided the uniform drabness of a company town, although it did become an important mining center. Rowtown retained its independence during industrialization, but it did lose its name. It was renamed, in a curious way, for Henry Gassaway Davis, Jr. Young "Harry" Davis, as the Senator's son and presumed heir, had been put in charge. of the local mines. 182 According to a 1964 article in the Charleston Sunday Gazette-Mail, he seems to have preferred to spend his time elsewhere. "Young Davis did not stay around Rowtown very long," the article says. "He liked to travel, and in May, 1896, was swept from a ship and drowned in a storm off the African coast. His body was lost at sea. Rowtown was renamed in his honor, incorporated as Junior in 1897." According to current Junior resident Alva Row II, this was at the specific request of the influential elder Davis. The name change made little practical difference, of course, and the community continued to prosper in a modest way. A clipping from an unidentified magazine, datelined "Elkins, West Virginia, November, Nineteen Hundred Six," describes the local coal operation a little less than a decade after Rowtown became Junior. "The Junior mine is located within three miles of Harding," the unknown author wrote. "There are 51 coke ovens with a daily capacity of 100 tons of coke. The mine capacity is 600 tons daily. 100 men are employed and eleven mules are used." The company, known in 1906 as the Davis Colliery Company, had earlier been called the Junior Coal Company and--at some intermediate time--the West Virginia Coal & Coke Company. Benny-Row's land dealings had kept his village from ever becoming a company town, but there was nothing to prevent the opening of a company store. The mine operators did just that, putting their Junior Mercantile Company store into direct competition with the old Row family general store and other local businesses. Junior reached its zenith during and immediately after World War I. There were seven grocery and general stores in town at that time, along with two banks. There was also a millinery and clothing store, operated by a maiden lady named Mary Jane Booth. She became a legendary character, noted for her blunt speech. Junior was at its most populous then, and my own earliest memories of the place were formed during these years. The Viquesney family ran a bowling alley, which was off limits to many of us, and a roller-skating rink. The skating rink doubled as a basketball court, and the town had an excellent team from about 1918 to 1922. Belington High School, some four miles away, also used this court, since they had no gymnasium until much later. Junior supported two doctors in its heyday, with Dr. Nelson B. Michaels spending most of his active life there. The other physician, a Dr. Davis, was there only during the boom years. My grandmother Mary Elizabeth, the widow of Granville Brady, was the local midwife, delivering most of the babies in and around town. She called in a doctor only if the birth didn't go well. The early families continued to be important in the town's life. For many years all of Grandma Brady's children lived in Junior. A 1913 photograph shows more than 40 of them proudly gathered around her. I can recall my parents going down the list of over 700 residents in 1920, and finding that all but three families were related to us by blood or marriage. In later years those three also intermarried with descendants of Benjamin Row I. These people enjoyed the prosperity of a boom town, but they paid a price, as well. Some suffered industrial accidents, the same as my Grandfather Brady had a generation before. One of my earliest recollections is of standing above the mine opening as the body of Benny Row III was hauled out on a mule car. He had been killed in a slate fall. Prosperity brought other problems, fortunately of a less serious nature. We had our petty criminal youth, known as the "Midnight Gang." They enjoyed stealing chickens for roasting over the coke ovens. One member was known as "Cateye," because he could see 183 so well inside dark chicken coops, and "Weasel" could slip through small holes when that skill was called for. Their nighttime work was not always without its pains. One of the gang caught a load of birdshot in his fleshy backside while going over a fence in West Junior one night. Dr. Michaels had the job of picking it all out. Junior was a "dry" town, even before Prohibition and down to the advent of 3.2 beer in the early 1930's. The thirsty never suffered, however, for the town of Weaver, two miles east, at one time had as many as seven saloons. The imbibers had to climb a high intervening ridge, and sometimes came back across in worse shape than when they had set out. The drinkers occasionally got into trouble on their way home, and one gang of young fellows provoked an incident still remembered locally as the "war with Italy." About a mile east of Junior they had to pass the home of an Italian immigrant family, a farmhouse surrounded by a waist-high rock wall. Several people inside, doing their own drinking more quietly at home, were aroused when one of the high spirited young men passing by discharged his revolver. The immigrants imagined they were being attacked and returned fire. About dawn the Italian flag was defiantly raised over the farmhouse, and the boys from Junior sent for reinforcements. Up to that time the standoff had been more comical than serious, but events took a tragic turn when one of the besiegers stood up from the back side of the stone wall to receive a shotgun blast in the face. Doc Michaels had another job picking shot that day, and the wounded fellow carried the scars for life. With a casualty on the field, the others sobered up enough to decide they had had enough war and headed for home. I'll mention no names in connection with these shenanigans, although a few people may still remember who Cateye and Weasel really were. Maybe not, since nicknames were so common in Junior. We generally used them not to conceal identity, but merely to distinguish among the many people bearing the same or similar names. We had four Charlie Bennets, I remember, and they became Long Charlie, Short Charlie, Mountain Charlie, and Post Office Charlie. There were also Knothole Daniels, Pigtail Corley, Taterdigger McDonald, Shilally Moore, Domineck Row, Gig Moore, Fido Moore, Organ Stool Moore, P. I. Davy Moore, Chumhead Coy, Bevo England, Grinny Cooper, Thistle Thom, Big Nose Brady, King Brady, and Shakespeare Brady, just to name some of the more colorful ones. Mostly, Junior was a peaceful place, with life revolving around the familiar institutions of small towns anywhere. The old Coffman Church stood to the south of town, and the first school was a log building on a hill to the east. Its single room was soon overcrowded, and Barbour County was persuaded to build a two-room school inside town. In 1912 this too was replaced, by a six-room building which served all eight grades until junior high students were moved to Belington. The old names turned up in education as in other areas of community life. Charles Sbomo was the first teacher at the log school. When the new two-room building was opened, the Reverend W. J. "Jack" Row was brought on as the second teacher, He was the grandson of patriarch Benny Row. Today, Junior has still another school. The last frame schoolhouse has been torn down, and a new masonry building erected across the river in West Junior. Technically a separate community until recently, West Junior was once served by its own railroad, but the old Coal & Coke tracks have been abandoned and taken up. Junior proper is still on 184 a rail line, and in more prosperous days as many as seven passenger trains stopped daily at the Western Maryland depot. Like the schools, the church moved around, too. The original location was inconvenient to some worshippers. Spot Williams, great-grandson of Benny Row and keeper of his old millstones, recounts his own family's experience in this regard. "My mother's first husband was Grant Williams," Mr. Williams says, "He was a musician and played the organ at the old church. My mother told me that before the bridge was built, he used to have to cross the river in a rowboat to come to church." After Grant Williams died, his widow married his brother, William. They purchased land at the south end of Junior, across the river. In 1900, the church itself moved north, into town. The new structure was built on Row Avenue, Juniors main street. It was intended for a union church for both the Methodists and United Brethren, but for some reason the deed was registered to the Methodists alone. Years of bitterness ensued and in 1905 the United Brethren built their own new house of worship across from the school. Even after the national uniting of the two denominations in 1965 the two groups still worship separately in Junior, although both are served by the same pastor. Nowadays the Valley River Church of the Brethren is located inside Junior, in a church building constructed in 1942. The Row family were all originally Brethren. The denomination bore the nickname "Dunkards" because they practiced "Trine" immersion--baptizing by dunking three times, face forward. In later years, many of the Rows became preachers. One of Benny Row's grandsons and five great-grandsons took up the ministry. All of them grew up in and around Junior, an area reputed to' have produced more ministers per square mile than any other place in the country. Local people had an explanation for it, according to a popular anecdote. A researcher from West Virginia University asked an area farmer about it, as the story goes. He caught the farmer working the yellow clay of his field, and the old-timer had a ready answer for him. "Huh," he is supposed to have said, "Our soil is so durn poor it won't grow anything but preachers!" Actually, there were always plenty of others to carry on with more worldly affairs. One of Mary Row Brady's sons built a waterworks for the village just before World War I, constructing a large reservoir and burying water mains along most streets. The G. H. Brady Water Company operated for years before the utility was sold to Frank "Squib" Shomo, a son-in-law of old Andrew Jackson Row, and G. Frank Row, a grandson. The mainline pipes were made of wood, unfortunately, which eventually rotted and permitted pollution of the water supply. For a long time signs at each end of town proclaimed "City Water Unsafe." In 1950 Junior and West Junior were incorporated as one town. Decline bad set in after the mines worked out, in the 1930's. Families had moved away and houses deteriorated, some to be torn down and others boarded up. But things began to look up with the new incorporation. A volunteer fire department was formed in 1961, and later that decade federal funds provided a new water system. The new system was dedicated in June 1970, with an elaborate funeral for the Unsafe Water signs. Senator Randolph, Congressman Staggers, and the Elkins Highlanders band were on hand to assist Mayor Bobby Channell in the procession and burial. Junior was also proud of a new sewer system, and the community generally had a more prosperous air about it. The real wealth of a community lies in the perseverance of its people, and in these terms Junior is rich. The old names are still there. A. J. Row was the first postmaster; his grandson G. Frank Row held the position for 28 years; and a great-grandson, Eldon Shomo, is now in the job. Alva Row II now has charge of the family store's original sign. It 185 bears the message "Rowtown Store, A J. Row," and less prominently the name of its sign painter, "Viquesney." These and other families have invested nearly a century and a half in the town, and as long as they're there the community will survive. A flood drove the first settlers across the mountains from old Virginia, and it is significant that their descendants have since survived trials by high water. A major test came in March 1913 when Junior, like much of West Virginia, suffered a disastrous flood. It was at the end of winter, and I can recall seeing great chunks of ice coming down Tygarts Valley River. This time there was no selling out and moving on. Anchoring the bridge with steel cables and blasting a threatening ice jam with dynamite, the people stood their ground until the floodwaters had passed. Maybe they were tougher than old Benny Row in this regard, but that's doubtful. More likely, they just liked the spot he had picked for them. Fifty Years Ago "Mommy, what's a wedding?" " In the past few weeks I had heard that word "wedding" from adult lips until my curiosity was beyond control. My mother looked up from busy hands to reply to my question. She was never too occupied nor too tired to answer a curious child. Her wise and quiet counsel came to my ears often. "A wedding, Troy, is what happens when two people like Aunt Loula and her beau decide to get married. They love each other very much, and they want to have a home of their own, just like Mama and Papa." A boy of five could find in these few words food for hours of childish thinking. I went away to ponder their mysterious meanings. At last the morning came when we were to go to the wedding. Along with sister, who was three, and "Buster," my year-old brother, I was scrubbed, rubbed and dressed in my very best. No boy of five ever really enjoyed being bathed and groomed in such a thorough manner, the one and only time when my mother was not gentle beyond all other women was when she washed my ears with that awful rough cloth and bittersweet soap! (I still don't care for 'Palmolive!") At last we are all ready, and the march "up town" on the cinder sidewalks of a mining village, breathing air flavored with smoke from manifold coke ovens, takes us to an area of buildings with false fronts and wide "Store Porches" of heavy planks. Every step of gritty and noisy progress was painful to me, for I had on my new shoes for this formal occasion. "Knee pants" which buckled about the leg above the joints they honored with steel buckles and strips of cloth, were so tight that circulation was even hindered. They were "bloused" down over the tops of black ribbed cotton stockings. A 'Buster Brown" collar and loosely tied flowing tie of black sateen completed my torture outfit, and helped to indelibly fix this wedding of fifty years ago in my mind. Crossing the long bridge over the river was always an unparalleled adventure. Crossing the tracks past the railroad station, where Western Maryland engines, puffing and hissing menacing white steam, discharging passengers and packages, and receiving daring adventurers aboard, we finally came to the bridge. What fun to step carefully over inch-wide cracks in the plank floor! After all, one just might slip through in spite of all Mommy's reassurances. The water, some fifteen feet below, was a poisonous red from sulphur discharged from the mines, gradually clearing as we approached the western side, where upstream flow prevailed. Another railroad crossing, the "Coal and Coke" and 186 we were at the foot of the long hill straight ahead up Bridge Street to the very end. Even this was not too tiring today! Sharp sun and burning blue of mid-autumn in the Alleghenies made any hour of that October day an adventure to a boy of five years. This must really be an occasion! Mommy is leading the way to the front gate in the whitewashed paling fence around Grampa's yard. On ordinary visits here we went in at the side gate, and up to the kitchen door. I could never understand why Grampa had such heavy weights on the yard gates! They came shut with a sharp snap, almost like a small firecracker, and woe to the heels of a small boy who did not move quickly inside to escape the malicious jaws of this sinister trap, erected by unfeeling adults! Up the front steps to the veranda with its amazingly round posts--"Jus' like a tree, on'ey rounder!"-and painted a powdery white which always came off on the dark clothes of unwary little boys dressed in their Sunday best. How I loved to lock my fingers around their slippery sides and swing back at arm's length! And what dreaded scoldings that white paint chalk had brought in times past! Inside now, to Gramma's parlor, with its fancy printed carpet, (How very rich Grampa must be!) and with walls hung about with deep dark frames fencing the stern visages of sundry ancestors. These anguished souls, their lips compressed in the agony of "posing for a picture", never failed to give the child a feeling of strange pity! How strictly those post-bellum artists of the black cloth and flash powder era must have required suffering to be registered on the faces of every subject they portrayed! Lots of people here! There's Uncle Andy! (Wonder why some people call him "Bill Nye"? Wish I knew why.) There's some of Great Uncle Asie's family from over at the Big Store in town ("A. L. Matthews & Son, Gen. Mdse.") Some strange people here too! Suddenly selfconsciousness overcomes me so strongly it is actually painful! ("Don't be bashful, little boy, what's your name? What d'you call him, Bergia? And the baby? You mean he's actually a year old, and you haven't named him yet?") Suddenly the "Preacher" is in the room, and all is hushed and still. I am very quiet, too awed by my very first real life look at striped trousers and Prince Albert mat! (Jus' like on Louie Thornhill's tobacco cans. Louie lives at my other Gramma's house.) Doubly familiar, too, from the pages of our carefully cherished "Gummery Ward Catalog." I was seated by fate for this austere occasion. It was on an old fashioned footstool or hassock, a black and slippery hilltop of patent leather. It had springs so firm that I couldn't possibly dent them to make a secure seat for my tiny backside. Each moment on this precarious perch became one of mortal dread! "What if I slide oft?" My feet barely touched the floor. With hands tightly pressed to the slippery sides, I strained desperately to prevent tiny, yet to me tragic toboggan down one or the other sides of my treacherous throne of torture!" "What a long wedding! Wish I was outside!" Suddenly there came an awareness which made my misery manifold! The urgency of that moment brought cold sweat to an unusually warm brow. Head and eyes dropped in an agony of anticipation. "I jus' have to! I gotta go! I can't wait! I know I'll wet my pants! Why don't they hurry? Do I dare to slip out right now?" Even in my misery I am awed at what happens next. There are tiny sighs, cleared throats, and even a suppressed giggle from one of Uncle Asie's girls. I lift my eyes, and even I know it isn't proper for Aunt Loula to be kissing that man right before all those people! 187 Finally there is blessed confusion! Someone sobs gently, there is much kissing and hugging, to my disgust, and some handshaking among the men. In the wake of this melee', I escape to the kitchen and out the door. I moved quickly down the steps past the wash house to the flagstone walk under the grape arbor. But it's such a long way out to the little building we call "The Closet"! I realize that I will never get that far without tragedy, so I do the forbidden thing! I slipped through the vines to the back of the wash house and found timely relief! Looking up into the vines, I saw the purple gleam of a few leftover Concord grapes missed in the September gathering. Their sweet juices added another unforgotten memory to a day "fifty years ago." I came to one deliberate and weighty conclusion while there by the grape arbor: weddings are pretty dull affairs! 188 Afterword In Loving Memory of My Grandparents Just a quick note to all – The three books, what I affectionately refer to as “The Brady Trilogies”, which are titled “Reclaimed Memories”, “Kinfolk” and this book, “Pop Troy’s Anthology”, are as close to the originals as I could make them. Please note that some of the page numbers referred to may not coincide with the page numbers in this document. What inspired me to do this came about as I was taking my part in remembering Mother Brady, during her Memorial Service, but doing so from California. Last year, when I learned that she was failing in health, and it looked like she wouldn’t be with us much longer, I made a decision. I knew that my next return trip to Florida would be for her, so I decided that instead of returning for a funeral, I returned to spend a week seeing her for the last time. And I was able to spend her 95th birthday with her, and all of our family as well. That was in September last year. Back in California, during her memorial service taking place in Florida, I picked up her book, “Reclaimed Memories” and started to read it from the beginning. Not having done so before, I became so engrossed, simply because I had been to many of the places spoken of, and I have the special memories of having lived with them during my early teenage years (13-14) in Singer’s Glen. I read non-stop to the end of the book. That took two days. That is when I decided to start this project. Those memories are some of the most cherished memories of my life. As a belated gift to them, I have decided to convert all of the books to digital format, since only a few actual copies were printed. Now these works can be passed down for eternity. I will be publishing this on CDrom, hopefully by Xmas of this year (2003). Some parts, like this one, will be published on the Internet. The final works will probably be in a “Web” browser format, with enhancements and links to other cross-references and photos of the many “monuments, landmarks and beautiful countryside” spoken of that are not contained in the original works. This is for those that have not had the chance to visit these places, and to add to the experience of being with them in spirit. I hope you enjoy this, and the following books when I am finished. It is a walk down memory lane........ Robert Martin Brady Son of Howard Landis, Grandson of Troy Robert & Elizabeth Thrash Brady If you have any comments, questions, etc., or would like to receive a copy of the CDrom when its finished, email me at: [email protected] or write to me at, 38545 35th Street E, Palmdale, CA 93550 189