by Pastor Betzer | 1 Comment »
Acts 26:19
Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision.
I enjoy taking big band pop songs and re-writing the lyrics so I can sing them in church rallies. This devotional is about one of those songs.
Recently I got to thinking about my joyous childhood which was centered around three institutions: my home, my school and my church. Of the three, only the house still stands. I loved my church beyond words to tell you. It was perhaps at that time the strongest evangelical church within a three-state area. Recently I drove by it. A chain-link, locked fence surrounds the structure. The grounds are covered by weeds. The site frankly broke my heart, and – thinking about it – I wrote these lyrics for a song prompted in my thinking by Joseph Rapozo’s song, “And there used to be a ballpark right here.”
“And there used to be a church house / in my childhood and my teens / where the people sang and worshiped with a joy I’ve seldom seen / and the place was filled with wonder / from the platform to the rear / yes, there used to be a church house right here.
“And there used to be a vision of those things God wanted done / now there’s no one still attending of those saints, not even one / and the sky has got so cloudy when it used to be so clear / and the glory left so quickly one year.
“Now the children try to find it / and they can’t believe their eyes / for the old folks don’t remember so no one really tries / but I’ll never stop recalling / those days still seem so near / that there used to be a church house B right here.” It’s a sad song. I pray it never happens to your home church.
Prayer: O God, please help me do my part to keep the vision burning brightly in the church I attend. In generations to come, may it continue to be a tribute to the power, mercy and glory of Your Name. Amen.
July 4th, 2009 at 2:12 am
When, my darling Pastor, are you going to record the song you wrote about ” There was Once a Church Here ?” Remember you did say you would give this great consideration. We loved the song, it was so meaningful…but we would want the recording of you singing it.
You of course would not remember the John Glenns…we were snow birds and loved our precious Assembly of God in Ft. Myers..wanted you to know,my very dear husband has suffered two or three bad strokes and is confined to a bed in a nursing home here in Ohio. I don’t know what we would do without your many DVDs..John looks at them over and over…I must order some more. you are such a gift from God. You are as refreshing as rain and give us a constant lift as a Florida sunny day. My dear…you are loved.
Betty Glenn