Sunday, May 13, 2001
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Sunday, May 13, 2001 |
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The hand that rocks the cradle By DR. KNOX HERNDON Often I have been sitting on an airplane and someone would sit down beside me and we would eventually engage in normal conversation. We would talk about any and everything. The conversation would be going very well and even friendly. Eventually the other party would ask me what I did for a living and the answer would be that I am a pastor. In many cases if the individual was not a "follower of Christ," it appeared that a wall would fall and the conversations would become an attempt to impress me with their Biblical knowledge. I have heard things like "doesn't the Bible say a penny saved is a penny earned," or doesn't the Bible say "cleanliness is next to Godliness." or "the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world." I would say I think those are from Benjamin Franklin. Mother's Day 2001 can you believe it? My earliest memories were of a Godly mother and a Christian father. The memories were first of my mother because since I was born D-Day minus 4 (which was the second of June, 1944), Dad was heavily involved in the European Theater of World War II. In those days, a soldier went to war and didn't come home until it was over. Many fathers didn't see their newly born children until they were 2-4 years old. My parents were church people and there was, and is today, a deep and rich culture that was and is centered around the church. I was told that when I was born I was in time for Sunday School. One need not go any further to figure out my birth hour because in those days and often today, Sunday School starts at around 10 a.m. Actually I was "branded" by the church. I'm not talking about "church discipline" as we have been horrified to hear about recently in the media. I'm talking about a little five-year-old boy in the First Baptist Church in Social Circle during the winter who, after church, was running down the asile and tripped and fell on one of the floor furnace metal grates. For years when I would fill out official documents, I was asked if I had any identifying scars or marks. I would state the very identifiable "church grate brand" on my right leg. This church culture was for me a wonderful background. I remember in the Baptist churches in those days we had on Sunday evening what they called "training union." This was like Sunday School before the evening service. In that meeting we would fill out a little report that would ask if you were attending the evening service, reading your bible on a daily basis, brought your Bible to church, giving of your tithe, etc. There was a percentage attached to each one of those categories. I remember I could never get above about 80 percent. In this church culture in which I was reared, I remembered the love and security I always felt at church. In fact I know there are people who have come to Christ because of the fear of Hell and for some that might be what it takes, but for me it was the total love I felt on a weekly basis. As to the moms out there who are fighting the fight and keeping the faith, press on. You are today forming the "good old days" of your children's futures. They will remember many things about their childhood but introducing them to the security of a loving God through Jesus Christ is the best gift you can give them. They may smile and laugh at Mickey Mouse, but a lifelong relationship with God will last forever. The Rev. Dr. Knox Herndon is the pastor of His House Community Church (SBC)and a former Army chaplain. The church has moved to its new location just below Senoia on Ga. Highway 85. Going south on Hwy. 85, cross Ga. Highway 16 and the church is a mile ahead on the right, just below the fire station. The church invites visitors. Church office and prayer line number is 770-719-2365. The e-mail address is KHERN2365@aol.com.
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