Straight From The Hart

  The most difficult days I had as a pastor each year were Mothers Day and Fathers Day.  I just didn't have anything to relate to and narrative is so important in a sermon.  It was worse with my dad than with my mom but I still drew a blank with both of them in talking about experiences.  I was in my mom's first family and raised pretty much by my grandmother.  As she got older we were closer, but just not the traditional things most of you talk about.  Never had a story book read to me.  Her thing was definitely not cooking or other household stuff.  We didn't have prayer time.  My dad was even worse.   I was just a toddler  when they divorced and I can count on one hand probably the times I saw him from the divorce until I was grown and MJ was born.  In his old age he moved to Lebanon and faithfully attended the church I pastored so those final years were pretty good.  Lois had a little more time with him because they al...

  On this Father’s Day I want to pay homage to several men I have known over the years. So thankful for Christian men. Recently Milan and I were watching the Gaither program on PBS and Gordon Mote, this extremely talented totally blind singer and pianist, sang a song he wrote about a church janitor who came in each night and cleaned the church and had his own prayer meeting with the Lord using a prayer list he found on the pastor's desk. He sang about this janitor who didn't have to be "up front to get attention, he just wanted to work behind the scenes, doing what he could do best, emptying the trash, dusting the pews, so that others could come and worship the next day. It really touched my heart as I thought about the different men who worked at the Oakland Church behind the scenes, not seeking any glory or credit for themselves but just so the rest of us had a nice clean place to worship. I thought about my very special brother-in-law, Bill who spent so many hours in ...

  My most recent poem. In my prayer time this morning I noticed that so many on my prayer list were dealing with struggles and strife and stress and unrest, and I found myself praying after so many that you would make a pathway of peace. The words took hold in my mind, and this is the result. Written July 21, 2019 by Joan Rowden Hart THE PATHWAY TO PEACE When families are hurting and sometimes temper flares When blood ties are unravelling, , you wonder just who cares When those who should be closest don’t seem to want to share Dear Lord, please make a pathway to peace. When nations rise against nations, and folks are thinking war When diplomats are weary, nothing seems to work anymore When black and white are fighting, and the rich against the poor Dear Lord, please make a pathway to peace. When you lay in a manger the night the angels sang Peace among men they said, the courts of heaven rang When you saw in the future the cross from which you’d hang You died to make a pathway of p...