Dear Jimmy,
I guess bein' a retired farmer is a lot like bein' a retired preacher. You just can't seem to quit. It gets in your blood. Ya might even say it's a callin', farmin' is. Why, ever seed planted is a partnership with the Almighty. It's an expression of hope and faith. It's a demonstration of stewardship, it is. No wonder bein' close to the land makes me feel close to the Lord.
Uncle Orley and I have been out all mornin' in the mud gettin' our garden underway for the comin' season. I tried to hold out for the ground to dry a little, but Orley plants by the calendar, and it was time to be puttin' seed in the ground come hail or high water. Fortunately, the hail held off, but I hope the little Better Boy tomato plants we put out don't drown before they can get rooted.
I think even Orley decided it might be a little too wet cause he hasn't seemed in too big a hurry to get back out there since we came in for a bite of dinner around noon. I hear him in the other room snoring up a storm now, so I'll write while your uncle naps.
I wanted to tell you about our visit to your Great Aunt Glenda's new church last Sunday ‘cause I know that bein' a preacher and all you will have an interest. As you probably heard, her old church Second Harmony Baptist, had a split and she went with the new group. Well, they had a time settlin' on what to name their group.
A few wanted to carry on the tradition and name the new church Third Harmony, but that notion didn't survive long apparently. Others wanted the name Fishers of Men Baptist and another group was determined they would be called Armor of God Baptist. Well, I guess they were some kind of riled up over it and it was beginnin' to look like the group was gonna divide again before they could even get organized. I'll swan, I do think that some churches are just plumb cantankerous from the start.
To her great credit, Aunt Glenda decided that she was gonna suggest a compromise. She thought real hard about it and finally said, “Why don't we call our church Sword Fish Baptist?” Well, if you ask me everybody must have been too stunned to disagree, so anyhow that's what they are calling it. Sword Fish Baptist.
So Orley and I went to Sword Fish Baptist last Sunday and I went to Sunday School with the women. I wouldn't say that I burdened them exactly with high expectations, but even so the longer the class went the more troubled I got. It wasn't that I disagreed with the Bible teachin'. I don't expect to agree with everything a teacher says.
No, the problem was we never got around to Bible teachin' of any kind. Don't you know those ladies found all sorts of things to talk about. We had to hear about the color of some poor girl's prom dress and that led, naturally, to a discussion about how the schools have changed since we were students. Changed? Honey, we were writin' our ‘rithmetic figures on slate boards!
Well, changes in the schools led to how the problem is we expelled God from school and can't pray anymore. I couldn't believe my ears. I knew some of those women when they were in high school and prayin' was one thing they didn't have a reputation for doin'.
You get the picture. By the time all the talkin' got done and the prayer requests were shared in great detail there just wasn't time for what we went there to do. I got the idea that the teacher was downright relieved when they ran out of time.
Now, I don't mean to be complainin' about another church ‘cause we got our own problems down at Bluebell Baptist. But, I sure hope our classes are teachin' the Bible. You know me, I'm not by nature a Bible-thumper. I don't go ‘round quotin' Bible verses at people.
But, I can't help wonderin' about all our talk about Baptists bein' people of the Book. When all is said and done I'd reckon we've done a lot more talkin' than studyin'. I guess what I'm afeared of is that it just doesn't seem to be that important to a lot of folks.
Orley says I'm not bein' fair. In his class they at least read the verses out of the Sunday school book before they got off on if its un-American to buy a Kubota tractor. I know that most of these folks have been in Sunday school all their lives and maybe they got the Bible memorized. But even then it seems like there would be some value in review.
If this same kind of thing is happenin' in other places it could all add up to a strange silence of the Bible in the church.
Well, I appreciate you allowin' me to rant a bit. It continues to sound like thunder clapping in the other room, so I'm guessing we may wait until tomorrow to get in the garden again.
I hope you are well and the welcome mat is always out. You know where we keep the key, so come any time.
Love Always,
Aunt Ida