A Country Bumpkin

Brenda was dissatisfied with her church and longed to return to her Baptist roots.  She wanted her young daughter to have the same Biblical foundation of faith that her mother had provided for her.  There was something missing at her current church that the rural provided.

Brenda and her husband were faithful church members, were active in church work, and were practicing pharmacists.  He was persuing a law degree and she was persuing her heart.  They discussed her desire and he encouraged her to find a Baptist church that would help her in her journey.

He did have a criterion for her in choosing a church.  First, the church of her choice needed to be one in town and not out in the country.  Second, wanted her to choose a church were the pastor had an education, preferable college and better if was seminary and not one with a backwoods Baptist preacher.  He had the same concern for their daughter, as did she.

Third, he requested that she visit the church where the local physician, a family friend, attended.  Another friend, a local insurance agent, her baby sitter, and several other friends attended the same church.

Brenda decided to visit the church were their friends attended.  When she arrived, she giggled as the preacher greeted her at the entrance.  She giggled because the church that her husband wanted her to attend had a country preacher.  Shocked by the greeting, Brenda hesitated a moment.  When she saw friends, she darted toward them.  Her thoughts swirled in her head as she thought what kind of mess I have gotten into this morning.  She could not wait to see her husband that afternoon when he returned home from work.

Brenda enjoyed the music during the worship.  She was taken as the preacher took time with the children during what was called pastors’ pals.  The country twang of the preacher had grasped her attention.  Over and over, she thought of her husband’s admonition, “Don’t attend a church that has a backwoods preacher.”  It was his suggestion to attend this church.

Brenda felt a little more at ease with the old familiar Baptist faith hymns, the warm welcome of strangers, and affirmation of friends.  When the preacher announced his text, Brenda thought, “This sure will be interesting.”  The preacher’s text was Revelation 6:5-6, “The Black Horse.”

Brenda had been a student of the Book of Revelation and understood how symbolic and controversial the Book of Revelation is.  The country-bumpkin’ preacher had her attention.  He spoke of demographics, famine, and poverty.  He quoted Dr. Billy Graham’s book, Storm Warning.  He spoke of twenty-six million people are at risk to famine in the Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Malawi, Angola, and Mozambique.  He told how civil war rages and conspires with drought to create famine. He spoke of false religion and apostasy of the white horse, and war of the red horse leading to famine and pestilence. He told how the human sufferings of the black horse are ahead if we fail to keep the commandments of God. He preached of the starving in Africa and Asia contrast the $15 billion dollars spent on diet formulas and $22 billion spent on cosmetics in North America and Europe.  He spoke of the problem is not all shortage, but distribution.  He spoke of the poetry and literary content of Revelation and that resonated with Brenda.

Brenda could not wait to see her husband.  She said, “You are not going to believe what I heard today.  You know the warning you had about the country-bumpkin preacher . . .” 

And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.  And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine (Revelation 6:5-6 KJV).

I see Brenda and Mark from time to time.  They remain faithful servants at the church where they heard the country-bumpkin preacher.  Brenda still giggles when she sees me.