Memories At The Pulpit.

Toughts Out Of No Where. Love Ia Not Always At First Sight.

At the Pulpit

Memories can start at the pulpit. It did for me, and it is still a happy memory.

Some forty-seven years, as I remember it, [EDIT; ABOUT 1961.] [EDIT: As of November 2, 2023, it would be 62 years.] I was at the pulpit in a little church in Auburn, Nebraska. I was doing my thing as a student preacher from York College, a local Christian College I attended. At that time, I was unsure what to do with my life; I was attending school. I had started at the University of Nebraska a year and a half earlier on a small scholarship. I started at the University because that was where the scholarship was from. During that first year, friends from the church in Lincoln, Nebraska, kept talking about the small Christian College they were attending some distance away. Since I had no idea what I might want to do with my life, I decided to change colleges the next year and go where they were going.

I enrolled in several Bible classes in addition to the usual Math, Science, and English classes. I enjoyed all the classes and did well in each one. During this time, several of the boys (read young men) went out on the weekends to preach for some of the local churches that did not have regular preachers. This was good practice for them, as several had decided to become preachers.

During the second year, some of my Bible teachers suggested that I also go out on weekends to preach, as several area towns still had no regular preachers. I agreed to do this partly because one of the towns without a preacher was where my parents and some of my relatives lived and went to church.

There were three small churches in three different towns in the same general area, so three of us "boys" would head out in the same car early Sunday mornings. (And even Saturday afternoons when we had arranged for places to stay.) The driver would let the first two out at the first two towns and then go on to his town. We were always invited to someone's home for dinner, and then, sometime in the afternoon, the driver would retrace his route and pick us up to head back to college.

We would rotate which church we would preach at, so one sermon would last three weeks.

During that second year at the Christian college, I decided I wanted to be a teacher. After being there for a year and a half, I transferred to Peru State Teachers College, close to where my folks lived. I worked for half a year to earn the tuition for the new college.

After enrolling in the new college, the church where my folks and some of my relatives went again needed an in-between-time preacher. Since I had done it before, it was natural for them to ask me. I accepted and was now attending school full-time and preaching on the weekends, so I was at the pulpit.

So, now comes my memorable moment at the pulpit.

I was leading the song service before my sermon time, and in walked what I thought was a large family – eight people in all. This was great, visitors! There was a mom and dad, an older girl, a high school-looking boy, a grade school-looking girl, and three real small kids – one walking and two being carried.

I found out that this represented two families. The mom and dad were the parents and grandparents of the group. The older girl was actually the 22-year-old widowed daughter with three small children, all under four years old.

The small church group was happy for their presence. Their singing added to the worship, and the dad's input during Bible study time was insightful.

Once, Mrs. N. privately asked me if I had considered dating Carol, the widow. I hadn’t so that is what I told her. I was still in college and preaching on the weekends. That was all that was said about the subject.

Each week, I continued with the preaching and leading in the singing.

About two Sundays later, I was again invited out, but this time, it was for a social activity where several families were also invited. Carol, her Mom, her dad, and her three children were invited to the Mr’s N’s home. Here I was again in a social setting with Carol. Thoughts hadn’t begun to surface that maybe I should be thinking about dating Carol, but she was a widow with three children. But again, I didn't need to bring up the subject. Mrs. N, right in front of everyone, asks me the same question (loud and clear so everyone can hear; "Larry, have you thought about dating Carol?" I don't know how I answered her uncomfortable question, but I am sure I stuttered something.

Anyway, a few weeks later, I asked her if she would go to the college Open House with me. I didn't think of it as a date. She said she would. This was in April. After this, I would usually see her sometime during the week besides Sunday. Little did I know what I had started.

I remember the thrill the first time I held her hand. It was during a walk by a little lake near where she lived, at the end of April or early May.

Come June 30^th, we were married, and it all began at the pulpit.