10/26/09 Yesterday (Sunday) I was in Church as usual. Our Pastor often calls for those who wish to join in prayer. It’s the kind of thing I grew up with - except that format was usually done at the mid-week Prayer Service. As I sit, barely hearing those who pray aloud (I know, I know. God hears them) I frequently will pray silently. I don’t feel comfortable praying aloud since I was Interim Pastor of this congregation of nearly two years.
Yesterday I began to think about my Christian heritage. What has it been which makes Sunday Worship so much a part of my life? Somehow, about the 9th grade, I felt a real “call” to Christian ministry. From that point on education became more important to me. But back to the heritage. My father and mother were very active in the local church. Dad was both Superintendent of the Sunday School and Chairman of the Board of Deacons. He was highly respected and there was never any move to replace him. Mother sang in the Choir and also taught in the Sunday School and at Vacation Bible School. Dad’s father had the Taylor Bible Class for many years at his Church. He was highly respected there.
When I was in High School my sister and one brother both entered schools for Christian service. Bill went to Crozer Theological Seminary and Dorothy Ann went to the Baptist Missionary Training School. Examples were being set. Long before that, however my Great Grandfather, John Andrew Mitchell Petit, was a Baptist Minister, and he was the founding Pastor of a number of Churches. He died young so I never knew him, but I still have memories of sitting in Church Sunday mornings with Grandpa Petit and him giving me a penny to put in the offering plate. This was in the 1930’s - depression time.
So there we have it. A rich spiritual heritage of immediate family plus Christian forebears. It needs to be said, however, that even though I planned to go to Seminary all through College other matters entered in and I didn’t get to Seminary until 9 years after I got my BA degree. Maybe more later.
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2 comments:
Thanks. I didn't know that about your grandfather.
Hey Unc... you didn't mention Uncle Don and his path to ministry. I'm not sure where that occured in your process. Thanks for sharing. It is always good to fill in the gaps of family history through you and your siblings, who are now our history!
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