Old Topeka Church

Guard her well, dear soldiers of the Master,
The little church that clings precarious,
In the ebb and flow of pew and pastor,
Her days, rustic or modern, so various.

Her spire reaching high o'er the countryside
Summons her friendly folk from far and near;
They share Christ's dear love with great joy and pride,
For when they meet it is Jesus' voice they hear.

Welcome, weary stranger, her fount to drink;
Gain strength from these faithful storm-hardened folk,
Who, teetering often on the cliff's brink,
Held firm, showing scars of disaster's yoke!

I love you all the more, though time bedims
The griefs and joys of our journey's hew,
How our eyes teared singing those old, old hymns,
Surrounded by friends in their usual pew.

No doubt heaven holds its own thrill for each:
Mine, to hear our dear Lord and Savior preach;
And, looking around, Glorious Eureka!
There you are, dear friends, from Old Topeka!

Those of us who live without the wonderful joys of regular attendance in a Bible class and church are depriving themselves of a very large portion of the treasures of life. The list of great returns from sharing in a small group of beloved friends is an endless trove of benefits. To name a few: Loving friendships; feeling safe to share confidences and to gain comfort from others in times of need; prayers uplifted by caring friends who have influence with the Lord to help us in sickness and grief; deep, hearty laughter that comes spontaneously from those who understand. This list is endless.

Sure, you can worship God in private, anywhere, anytime. You can live without a church. But what a hobbled, handicapped existence! We have seen in Romans 10:17 that you cannot generate faith in God. It is a gift, but you can receive the gift by hearing the message of Jesus. Are you having difficulty in believing in an afterlife? A supernatural world of God and angels and a devil? Then go to church and hear about Jesus. Read my blogs and read about Jesus. And so forth and so on. Then it becomes easy to believe.

Those dear friends at Old Topeka Church at the crossroads in Mississippi taught me what faith is and how to build it. When the bell rang and the doors opened, they were there---every time; sitting in the same place. The devil knew it was no use; God knew it, too.