Take Me Home

No, I wasn't taken away by a giant storm to The Land of Oz, but it was a place of quiet and open spaces filled with Southern hospitalities. I did not meet a good witch nor the wicked witch of the East, nor did Toto have to inform me that there is no wizard to magically get me back home, but I did think of clapping my heels together as I was reminded that there is no place like home nor a church like New Life. Yes, I often lost track of time, but I easily got back on track as it grew near to the time to go home. As I worshiped The Lord at New Life yesterday, my soul rejoiced, but the cry of my heart remained for those in the land of ritual and tradition. Indeed, there is no place like home. Without the assistance of make-believe, science, or a time tunnel, I went back in time. I flew some 2000 miles away and landed within a hundred miles of my birthplace, but this mission was not about me or my place of origin, but the dreams, hopes, and honor of others. God has blessed us with space and time and has given us the choice to proceed or to stand still. For all intents and purposes, space remains unchanged and unmoved, but time never stands still. As I beheld people who had gone forward and those who stood still, I experienced both joy and sadness. On the one hand, this land of catfish and cotton is a laboratory of people making adjustments and learning to get along. On the other hand, it's a place where time stands still. The politics and social structures have changed, but the people of faith seemed frozen and immovable. I think my journey and first-hand impression can best be described by the experience I recorded one Sunday morning which stood in remarkably contrasting tones from those to which my soul has grown accustomed at my own New Life Church.120919PoSoup;*See Part 2 ***************************************************************