Category Archives: Rural Life

It would have made a great song!

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We gather, as many churches do for a devotional reading and song before we divide up into our Sunday school classes. It’s led by a layman so I was sitting in a pew and just before the the service started a wave sorta rose through the pews (back to front instead of side to side). Instead of cheering everyone rose saying “What was that?”

After the front pews jumped up we saw some sort of ‘critter’ bolt from the congregation into the choir loft. When it climbed up the wall we saw what it was — a squirrel!

I made an admittedly pathetic attempt to grab it. There is simply no training in seminary to prepare you for catching rodents that are circling the chancel, weaving in and out of organ pipes. The assembly was mostly made up of little ol’ ladies, so I was glad when, after a few minutes of chasing the squirrel, Danny came in. Danny is very big and very country, just the sort of man you want to show up when your trying to catch an animal.

Danny is apparently more intimidating to squirrels than I am. It might be his size and obvious comfort chasing animals, then again it might be because his momma is famous for her squirrel dumplings. Any way when Danny entered the chancel the squirrel decided to get out of there. It had climbed nearly to the ceiling, it spread its arms and flew over our heads. We had a flying squirrel.

After a nice chase through the narthex among very confused parishioners and very excited children the squirrel shot into my office. I stood outside my office listening to the thud – bump – SLAM going on inside. I tried to smile nicely to folks as I imagined going inside to find squished squirrel bits all over my books. After a minute or two, Danny emerged, beaming with pride and holding his jacket over his head. It was bundled around what had to an extremely panicked squirrel. The squirrel was set free unharmed and the morning service continued as normal. I did ask our organist to play Ray Stevens for the offertory.

(By the way Danny has since joined the Army and is serving his second round in Iraq.  You’re in our prayers.)

Labor Day

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Hope everyone had a good labor day weekend. I also hope it means an end to the 100+ degree weather.

The first Sunday of September is the day we recognize someone for their Christian Service, we give them a plaque and small gift to honor them during the service. This year we recognized one of our deacons with a gift certificate to Lonnie’s Sporting (read Hunting) Goods. I held back from saying, “Thanks for what you do for the Church, now go buy some ammo!”.

Labor day also means Decoration at Coon Dog cemetary. I hadn’t been up for the festivities the past few years, so I rode up for a little bit with Luther. Big crowd this year. I’ve attached some pics from a visit this past summer with my Dad and Step-mom.  The first one, if you can’t read it says “Track, he wasn’t the best, but he was the best I ever had”. (spoken like a true Devaney)  The second one is my wife’s grandfather’s dog Lulu Belle and final one is us paying our respects to Troop, the first dog buried there.


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Top 5 (fictional) Country Preachers

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It’s fairly rare to see a minister as a character in a show now days…especially one that’s not an example of hypocrisy or there for comic relief. Here’s a list of 5 country preachers from film and TV, in no particular order:

1. Mr. Gruffydd from How Green Was My Valley.

I don’t remember too much of the plot, it’s been a while since I saw this. I think I rented it one night with the intent of watching all of the Best Picture Oscar winners. I was amazed to see a minister as a central character and portrayed as a hero. I was also impressed that a tall, handsome man played the minister. Compare this to nearly any preacher on film after the 60’s!

2. Rev. Tucker from the Andy Griffith Show.

While not a central or very memorable character, I’ve always liked how the church and the preacher was as much a part of Mayberry as the grocery store and post office. Nothing spectacular, it is simply a normal part of life that finds it’s way into the plot of several epispodes.

(Couldn’t find a picture of Rev. Tucker, but here’s a Sunday afternoon in Mayberry)

3. Preacher from Pale Rider

Not sure why, but I really like the scene where a preacher beats up on the bad guys with a large piece of lumber.

4. Friar Tuck

Fr. Tuck is an icon. He’s the jovial member of the Merry Men whose presence seems to give some moral sanction to the band of outlaws.

5. Rev. Maclean from A River Runs Through It

The minister viewed from within the manse. This is one of my favorite all time movies, Rev. Maclean is stern, loving and one of the few Presbyterians to ever use the word ‘beautiful’. Norman Maclean definitely grew up in a Presbyterian home.

Well that’s my list…who would you add.

5 Sites with Rural Ministry Resources

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I’ve been googl’ing for websites that offer resources specific for rural ministry. I haven’ t been overwhelmed with information. I did find these five sites that might have something useful:

The Town and Country Institute if the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg has a select bibliography.

The ELCA denominational website has a section on rural ministry.

The Center for Theology and Land of Wartburg Theological Seminary has some resources for Rogation Sunday.

Alabama Rural Ministry.

And here’s a online document about pastoral ministry from the Rural Social Science Education website, the layout is a little unusual – you have to click several time to get to the text. Begin here.

Picture is Field of Gold by PentaxFanatik

The ‘Struggle’ of Rural Ministry

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Read this article today. It presents the same story (not at all news) that I always hear about rural church life. It’s the same message I have heard my whole life. There’s a lot of churches in the country that are ‘dying’ and the best thing for them to do is to get radical and ‘untraditional’ and then they can really pack the place. Unfortunately some people, probably the dwindling, aging congregations hold ‘fast to the traditions of their forebears.’

I really believe that the opinions expressed in these type of stories just hurt the morale of small churches, and small church ministers and perpetuate a view of ministry that believes to be a successful church you have to have a lot of people. Notice the wording in the opening paragraph:

‘It’s an idyllic setting for Sunday worship: a small, white church on the slope of a gentle hill. Outside the sanctuary, two dogs lie in the shade. The only problem is there are just 20 worshippers inside…’ The small number of worshippers is a ‘problem’, 20 is a small number compared to the megachurches the author seems to be impressed with, but what is the population of the community where the church is located? Is the only thing a small congregation can do to be healthy is become a bigger congregation? Is the problem (as the article seems to suggest) that the church is made up of old fogies who are stuck in their ways, instead of willing to shake thing up a bit and implement ‘casual dress, upbeat worship and high-tech media presentations’?

As a minister in a country church I’m tired of small congregations feeling like they are somehow less a part of the body of Christ than big city mega-churches. I’m tired of ‘help’ for small churches aimed completely at boosting attendance rather than focusing on the health of a congregation expressed in spiritual maturity, participation and leadership in the congregation and active ministry and mission.

I believe it is important for the church to have a presence in these small communities that are simply not going to have large congregations. (In Allsboro there are roughly 300 people, we are 7 miles from the closest store and about 30 miles from the closest redlight, I don’t believe we are called to build a mega-church.) But in these small communities the fact that a few people get together to worship God (Jesus set the quota at 2 or more) is a sign of faithfulness to God and to their community. Wal-Marts have helped shut down our country stores. The schools closed and consolidated a long time ago. Same with the post office. While most folks have abandoned the rural areas in the name of efficiency, and to the detriment of community, many, many faithful small churches have not. I think they deserve some appreciation instead of another story telling them that they are small, old, dying and unattractive to ‘seminary trained ministers’.

country church by withrow

country church by withrow