The Old Country Church

Wending my way down a country road in my air-conditioned car, In yon vale a weathered church steeple beckoned me from afar. 'Twas Sunday morning and the clarion peal of its bell caught my ear. There stood a simple House of God with a graveyard in the rear. My faithfulness in matters religious had never been that good, Since attending Church and Sunday School in my childhood. But something ethereal drew me to that bucolic setting so serene; I craved deliverance from my stressful and very hectic routine. I unobtrusively entered the sanctuary and sat in the very last pew. An elderly pastor ministered to his flock, who numbered a scanty few. The ancient hymns they sang evoked fond memories as a lad; My eyes grew misty as I recalled singing them with Mom and Dad. The pastor preached a simple sermon based on John Three-sixteen, That would have stirred the soul of a reigning king or queen! I left that modest but sacred place with renewed hope in my heart, Inspired by those timeless truths that old pastor did impart. I've heard profound oratory in majestic cathedrals o'er this sphere, But never a more soul-searching sermon will I ever hear, Than from that humble pastor imparting that message of old, For the ears and souls of his faithful, God-fearing fold. Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired