Are You Communicating?

I used to get along with computers. Really! We kind of talked the same language and I could get them to do lots of great things. In fact, an employer many years ago was so impressed with my computer communication skills that they were going to send me to college so I could be their computer specialist! I chose Bible college instead. Maybe that is why I’m in this predicament today.

It all started while I was printing next Sunday’s bulletins. I printed the inside of the bulletins and was ready to print the outside when the dreaded “low ink” message popped up. Even if you have enough black ink, if the color ink is low or empty the printer won’t print.

I tried to trick the printer by turning it off and on. No luck. I tried putting in a different, albeit empty, cartridge to trick the printer. No chance. Things were getting frustrating! All I needed was one printout of the outside and then I could use the copy feature. I started to think. I called a member of the church and asked if I could come over to print a copy of the bulletin there and headed out to solve my dilemma. Ha!

First I couldn’t get on their network to print on their printer. Then we tried copying the file to her phone so we could print from there. Wouldn’t work. We used a flash drive. Nope. I hooked directly to the printer with a USB cable (I know this might be Greek to some of you, but hold on. You’ll understand soon). I didn’t’ have the right printer driver to print to her printer and needed to be on the internet—their network—to get that. By this time I was about to scream, but I didn’t. Finally, I decided I just wasn’t supposed to finish printing the bulletins tonight and would have to do it at home over the weekend.

Tonight my ability to perform miracles with computers was tested and found lacking. They wouldn’t listen! I couldn’t get my will done no matter what I tried. So here I sit, back at the church at almost nine p.m., with only the inside of the bulletins printed, writing this article.

I’m reading a book right now called Unbinding the Gospel. The book comes out of a study of evangelism in mainline churches and talks about how we Christians, not only in mainline churches, fail to tell others about Jesus. We don’t want to evangelize, to talk to others about God. We talk about politics, the weather, the price of potatoes, but we don’t talk about faith. We’ve forgotten about faith.

I love the Lord, and I believe you probably do, as well. God has done so many wonderful things in my life and in the lives of those around me that people should be knocking down the doors to get into church and find the amazing freedom and grace we have received. But they are not. In fact, they probably cross the street to walk on the other side, and we probably wait until they cross so we don’t have to tell them about it.

If I really believe, really, that Christ has forgiven us of so great a debt, that we are adopted into a family with no dysfunction or codependency—the family of God—why aren’t we telling others about it?

Perhaps the issue is that at our very core we have forgotten how amazing is the story of the first “good Friday” and the resurrection, all that Christ did for us on Calvary. We have forgotten the childlike innocence and awe of the presence of God with us and, therefore, avoid communicating with God and about God. Martha Grace Reese, the author, says that the first part of “the heart of evangelism is being in love with God” (p. 5).

We see so many relationships on the rocks because of a lack of efficient communication, so we can understand this communication dilemma, as well. Are we praying? Are we praising? Are we taking time to listen? Do we really know God, I mean really love God? I’m not talking about a smooth praise song or an old hymn we sing at church, but a deeply settled emotion within my spirit that testifies to my brain that God is indeed my Beloved.

So, I’m going to close up the computer and head home to Springfield in a few minutes, but I wanted to ask before I go, have you taken time today to talk to God? It may seem like you can’t hear God’s voice, but maybe you are just out of practice. Maybe you haven’t been praying, or maybe you’ve been praying so much that you haven’t taken any time to listen. I’m sure my computer communication issue is a temporary one—or at least I hope so. But more than that, I’m thankful that I do have a vivid relationship and communication with God that makes me want to tell you more, every day, about my Beloved, the One who cares for me and for you. I know why I preach and share—not because I’m any better than anyone else, but because God saw me, even when I didn’t listen, even when I wasn’t following, especially when I was going in the opposite direction, and loved me anyway, and redeemed me by the blood of Christ.

Are you communicating?

What the World Needs Now is Love, God’s Love . . .

On Friday many of us were once again glued to our radios, televisions, and computer screens, seeking information about the Connecticut elementary school and the children who remained inside. First reports said a few children had been shot and one adult, but it wasn’t long before the numbers started growing and the realities of the situation became startling clear. Once again, we were held captive by the onslaught of reports bringing us the devastating news about the children who no longer had a future and the young man who had taken it away. Almost in unison our hearts cried out: How did this happen? Why? And where was God when it took place?

A few days out you have probably heard the quips and may have seen the notes, pictures, and cartoons that blamed this tragedy on God’s absence from our schools. For example, in one cartoon a person asks God, “Why were you not there?” To which God replies, “I’m not allowed in your schools.” While it is true that in the name of religious freedom (or freedom from religion) we are not allowed to “bring” Jesus into the school, it is my belief that there is no such thing as a school where God is not present.

David knew about God’s presence, and he wrote about it in Psalm 139:

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. (verses 7-12).

There is no place on this earth or in the heavens where God’s presence is missing, whether that absence is legislated, voted, or affirmed by politicians or school boards. We may not be permitted to teach about God or to pray there, but that does not negate God’s presence. I believe God was there with that young man, speaking to him by the Holy Spirit, discouraging him from the insane act he was about to commit. God is with us always, just as Jesus promised before He ascended to heaven.

If so, why did God allow this to happen? We can blame God because He is all powerful, always present, or the school districts because they won’t let us pray, but the real truth is that we are responsible, our society, for what happened in Connecticut. We have allowed this to happen, again and again, not by allowing people to own guns, but by allowing our minds to be filled with so much gore and death and violence that others become nothing but images on a screen, that our actions no longer mean anything.

Martin Buber introduced I and Thou communication. As “Thou,” I relate to a human being with feelings, hopes, and dreams. Unfortunately, in much of our communication with others, the other is an “it.” In “I-it” communication, we don’t consider the other person a thinking, feeling individual, but just another object in our day. When that reasoning becomes concrete in our minds, reacting as this young man did is no longer unthinkable.

Did he watch too many video games with killing? Did he watch too many death-and-gore movies with gratuitous killing? Perhaps, as has been reported, he was mentally ill and was unable to recognize or feel the pain he was causing. I do know that in my everyday interactions I regularly meet people who live in the “I-it” category, no longer able to recognize or care about anyone beyond themselves.

This Sunday’s Advent emphasis is Love. Love enables us to treat another as “thou.” Without love, it becomes easy to murder—whether with a gun or with words or attitude. We, too, are killers, you see, when we fail to love our neighbors, when we tear them down and cause pain. We are destroyers when we spread rumors that take opportunities away from people and destroy relationships, when we withhold forgiveness for the purpose of causing pain and getting even. We are treating others as “it” when, with one swipe, we write them off because they are not “like us,” whether in appearance, national origin, political ideation, or worship style. I am not minimizing the tragedy in Connecticut by comparing it with these seemingly trivial things, just pointing out that it all starts somewhere, the ability to act without considering the other person.

How can we stop the madness? It always starts with me. I am the one who must change so that I can teach my neighbor. Then I pray for those around me, loving them with God’s love that never fails so they can learn as well. We must be world-changers, especially those of us who use the term Christian about ourselves, so that this may never happen again.

Blessings,

Mary Kay Glunt
revmkg@sbcglobal.net

Where Do We Go from Here?

Recently I’ve written about the history of our church, founded around the same time as Greenfield itself.  In its early days Ebenezer was a mainstay in the community; its building being the location where many other congregations also worshiped.  Today we are just one church among many, and we, although 170 years old, struggle, as do many small churches, with God’s plan for our future and what we will be “when we grow up.”   We have to ask ourselves, is God done with us or is there more for us to do besides waiting for the end?

There were many times in the Apostle Paul’s life when he could have just given up.  Below are just a few.

The ninth chapter of the Book of Acts tells us of Saul’s (thereafter Paul) conversion, but how the Jews set out to kill him and the were afraid of him.  He became a man without a “family,” per se.  Paul could have easily become disillusioned about his new faith and calling.  He could have said, “Who needs them?”   But he chose to be faithful.  Paul had many successes in his ministry through the years, but it wasn’t all fun and games and great revival.

Acts 16 tells of Paul’s imprisonment for setting free a slave girl who was possessed.  In Thessalonica, likewise, rioters sought to beat Paul and Silas, but instead dragged his host and some others out of the house while Paul and Silas were sent away secretly.   A few years later Paul was attacked by a riotous mob in Ephesus.  Acts 21 tells us that Paul was arrested in Jerusalem , chained, and tried before the Sanhedrin and Roman officials.  He was transported to Rome to appear before the emperor.  He was in a shipwreck and then bitten by a poisonous snake, and yet lived.  He spent time in a Roman prison, and then under house arrest, where he preached Jesus continually.

How is this pertinent to Ebenezer’s 170th anniversary?  I see several correlations.  First of all, in 170 years the congregation of Ebenezer has been faithful to the call to be a place for preaching of the Word of God, a place where people can find salvation for their souls and rest for their weary hearts.  As can be seen from previous articles, however, ministry at Ebenezer, as with any congregation, was not always peace and serenity.  Clashes from within and without occurred, and the congregation was tried and tested.

Secondly, at any point Paul could have said, “I’ve had enough; this just isn’t worth it.”  But he did just the opposite, stating, “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.  As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.  And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear” (Philippians 1:12-15).  He said this because, “Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:9).

I am not comparing the momentary troubles we as a congregation have experienced as equaling those of the Apostle Paul.  But the parallel is that, through valley or mountaintop, God has been with us, and will continue to be so.  Thus the question, “Where do we go from here?”   We have chosen to continue the journey, to proclaim the Word of God, Christ crucified, and to be a lighthouse for those in the dark.

We at Ebenezer hope you will join us this weekend as we commemorate the past 170 years of ministry here, but more so, we hope you will consider joining us on our journey.  Perhaps you have had a bad experience in church, maybe even at our church, and have given up on the institution.  If so, I am asking you today to come and see what God is doing among us.  Perhaps you feel that God has not heard your prayers, that you are alone on your journey.  I am asking you to come and join us.  Maybe you have not even met our Savior Jesus Christ.  You don’t know the beauty of receiving complete, unconditional love and forgiveness.  I am definitely asking you to come and join us.

We are not perfect—far from it!  We don’t have the best and aren’t bursting at the seams, but we do have this one thing:  We believe in the Word of God and Jesus Christ, God’s Son who died for our sins and gives us forgiveness and eternal life.   We are looking for people who are excited about the journey, who want to know the joy and peace of serving God.  We are looking for people who know nothing of the journey, people who are hurting and seeking peace and healing.  Come, hear what God has for you.  Receive healing for your spirit and your soul and join us as we travel on.

Blessings,

Mary Kay Glunt, Pastor
Ebenezer Presbyterian Church
revmkg@sbcglobal.net

 

In Times of War and Struggle–History of Ebenezer Presbyterian Church

Several incidents survive regarding Ebenezer during the Civil War.  This great conflict, which pitted family members against one another and divided the almost century-old nation, affected Missouri, as well, as two governments came into power, one Confederate and one Union, and even the churches were affected.

Pastors during that time, Rev. McFarland and Rev. Fulton made great impact on the families of Ebenezer.  These men were not only ministers in the church, but were involved in the community, as well.  Their involvement, and especially the school operated by Mrs. McFarland, caused them to be well-loved by all, even if they were union men.   At one point, a large contingent of rebel soldiers were camped near Greenfield, and sensing that these ministers might be in danger, two “Southern partisans” from the church went directly to the camp to appeal for protection for the men and their families.  They requested that “these two families not be molested, that they were too valuable.”  During the skirmishes and raids that followed, they were left alone, even though many families lost most or all of their possessions.

Especially disconcerting were the bushwhackers, literally guerrilla warriors, who rode throughout the region fighting against troops and supporters of the opposite side.  Even Jesse James was noted to be a bushwhacker, fighting against unionist supporters and Union troops in Missouri.  Atrocities occurred on both sides, as many homes and possessions were destroyed and lives lost.

Shortly after Rev. Fulton became pastor a story is told of the bushwhackers who came to church.  Soon after morning worship had begun, the doors flew open and some 20 or more bushwhackers entered the church with guns drawn.  Their demands?  To appropriate any and all guns and ammunition from those in the church.  Nothing else was taken.  Upon gathering up their bounty the “guests” demanded, further, that those gathered in worship take a pledge not to battle against the Confederacy.  Of course, at the end of drawn guns, the pledge was made by one and all.  Satisfied at their earnest promise, the men departed back to the outskirts of Greenfield, where they had been camping in the high brush.  Noting that the men were truly gone, Rev. Fulton quickly dismissed the service as everyone hurried back to their homes.

The church history reports that, at the end of the war, Ebenezer was the strongest Presbyterian church in Southwest Missouri, and Mrs. McFarland’s school (known as Brush College) was the only surviving school in the area.

Today, in the interest of relationships with overseas governments and missions outreaches, some mainline denominations have stripped all terminology about battle from Christian practice, including the hymn, Onward Christian Soldier, Marching as to War.  Yet, we are in a battle, not necessarily with physical threats, but rather with spiritual forces.  Although there are many skirmishes around our world today, the most prevalent is that in the spiritual realm.  There is a constant battle as we are urged to turn away from God, or to just make compromises that render us ineffective for the kingdom of God.

After having been in the wilderness, fasting and praying, Jesus was approached by Satan.  He didn’t tell Jesus to forsake God or to become a disciple of evil.  No, he was much too crafty for that.  Satan tempted Jesus in several ways, trying to steal Jesus’ power and strength and appealing to his “self” interests—power, appetite, and wealth (Matthew 4:1-11).

You see, the bushwhackers didn’t demand that the people in the sanctuary change their minds about the war, just that the people wouldn’t fight back!   In our society today, the tempter doesn’t need to destroy us or take everything away; He just needs to render us ineffective so we will be unable to make a difference in the Kingdom.  This can be done in so many ways, but the easiest way is to appeal to our “selves”—to our appetites and desires.  And once the “deal” is made, worship is over.

Read through Ephesians 6:10-20 today and put on the full armor of God.  Protect yourself from the “flaming arrows” of the enemy of your soul who seeks to tear you away from Christ and render you ineffective.  “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Blessings,

Mary Kay Glunt, Pastor
revmkg@sbcglobal.net

 

GROWING UP IN FAITH AND STATURE

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT! 

Have you wanted to read the Bible through but after a few months kind of lost “steam”?  Join us this September as we experience “Through the Bible in 90 Days,” a video and reading program developed by a layman for anyone wanting to explore God’s Word.  “Developed, field-tested, and used by its creator, Ted Cooper, a Houston businessman, this curriculum has proven successful at many different churches and with a range of denominational affiliations.”

Mr. Cooper, then an agnostic, decided to read the Bible.  He started reading, and halfway through gave his life to Christ.  He developed this program to help others have the same experience.  We will read 12 pages a day starting on Wednesday, September 5th, when we will meet with your choice of times:  12:30 p.m. or 7 p.m., both in Ebenezer Presbyterian’s fellowship hall.

No special items required; just your Bible!  However, if you would like a copy of the participant’s workbook, the Essential Bible Companion, or the Bible in 90 Days Bible (NIV), you can find them at www.Christianbook.com or contact Pastor Glunt, e-mail below or 417-844-0629, as we will be ordering books for those at the church.

Everyone is welcome to join us on this adventure!  Everyone is welcome, and we will be looking for you.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact Pastor Glunt.

GROWING UP IN FAITH AND STATURE

Whatever the calling, the goal, or the purpose of an individual or an organization, it takes time, dedication, and hard work to reach the “pinnacle,” or at least the next hilltop!

The fledgling congregation of Ebenezer grew slowly, but continued to struggle, and as is the practice with church plantings, the Ozark Presbytery and the national Presbyterian Church continued to supplement this “home mission” work.  For thirty years the church continued on, struggling at times, and yet being faithful to God’s calling and promise.  In fact, in those 30 years, most of the original members had gone “to their reward.”

Finally, the heavens seemed to break open and the church began to grow both in numbers and in offerings.  The original church building had served the small congregation, and the community, well, providing a place of worship for several denominations.  But now, the pastor led the congregation in plans to build a new sanctuary, the one in which we now worship, which was completed and dedicated in 1884.  The following is a quote from a report to the Ozark Presbytery, held in our sanctuary, on April 2, 1884.

“For thirty years past this church has received ‘aid’ from the Board of Home Missions, and during all that time it has had many dark days.  A mere handful of the faithful ‘held the fort,’ most of whom are now gone to their reward.  But during the past two years, a new light has dawned upon us.  We have had no marked revivals, nor many accessions during that time; but there has been, notwithstanding, a deep silent Spirit of devotion and Love to God and his Church . . . .

“To dedicate the new church free from debt, and after receiving from the Board of Home Missions for the last thirty years, we are now able to support a minister half his time.  We have passed the crisis . . . We do not say these things boastingly but with gratitude to God and the Presbyterian Church who have given us the helping hand through her ‘Boards of Missions and Church Extension.’  . . . Surely the Lord who has given us so beautiful a sanctuary will not refuse to add to our number ‘many of such as should be saved’; for the consummation of our hope and desire in this direction, let us ‘pray without ceasing’; for it is worse than Solemn Mockery to Dedicate our beautiful House to the Lord and not rededicate ourselves to his service and to the promotion of His declarative glory.” (emphasis mine)

Today, as I stand in the pulpit of this building, built on the sacrifice of so many and in the midst of a deep awakening of God’s love and grace, I find myself thankful for that same “deep silent Spirit of devotion and Love to God and his Church” manifest today in our midst.  Though we are once again a small congregation, we are walking in faith, looking forward to what God will once again do on the corner of Main and Garrett streets, not for our glory or notoriety, but that God’s amazing grace and mercy might shine out through those multi-colored windows and into the streets.

If you are seeking that same sense of devotion and love and to dedicate yourself once again, I invite you to come and join us each Sunday, Wednesday, and especially on the weekend of September 15-16, when we will celebrate our 170^th anniversary.

Blessings,

Mary Kay Glunt

revmkg@sbcglobal.net

 

History of Ebenezer–A Conflict in the Sanctuary

Not a day seems to pass by without hearing of another anger-crazed individual starting a fight, torching a building, or killing another person.  What is behind all of this insanity?  I was horrified to read of the recent torching of the Islamic mosque in Joplin.  Who would do such a thing to a house of worship?  My earnest prayer is that it wasn’t someone claiming it was in the name of God, most especially the “God of the Christians.”

So many shootings and riots and acts of rage—Pray with me, please, for these people who are so overrun with anger and hatred, and some who are just mentally ill, that somehow we can, as a nation, find a way to protect ourselves.  Pray with me that God will give us wisdom and open eyes to see these threats and reach out to those who are suffering under the weight of such anger and/or delusionary thoughts.  We need to be proactive and do what we can, even if only praying, to make a difference in our world.

Christians, if you are laboring under a deep spirit of resentment and anger, please turn it over to God.  That condition is not God’s will for you.  The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control—not anger and hatred toward those who are different.  Let us all pray for those who lost their place of worship in Joplin.  We may not believe as they do, but as the song, (and the Bible) tells us, “They will know we are Christians by our love.”

The original church building at Ebenezer, built in 1854, was the only church building in the young city.  And since the congregation was unable to use it full-time, they invited other congregations in the area to join in with them, using the facility for their own worship services when the Presbyterians weren’t there.  It was a busy place!  In fact, it was used so freely that it came to be seen as a “union church,” one that was built by various groups rather than just the Presbyterians, and therefore, governed by those groups.

This went along well until, in 1868, a conflict arose.  The history written by Stringfield states that one group began preaching against the Westminster Confession of Faith, a foundational confession of the Presbyterian Church, even to reject it.  However, another history states that one of the groups desired to bring a program into the facility that was not consistent with the purpose of the building, that is, worship.  The argument was carried on in the Vedette until, finally, the trustees of the church published the following report of the contributions to the building:

“The house was built in the years A.D. 1854 and 1855, and the first cost of the building and furniture, with all subsequent repairs, amounts to the sum of $2,175; and the money which footed the bills came from the following sources, as appears from the original subscription lists still on hands, viz:”

The reports showed that a total of $1,652 was paid by the congregation and various Presbyterian organizations, $383 dollars from “liberal men of the world” (probably non-church men), $70.50 Cumberland Presbyterians, $47 Methodists, and $22.50 from the Baptists.

Having made this report, demonstrating that the church was indeed built as a Presbyterian Church, the trustees continued, “This House has been solemnly dedicated, by faith and prayer, to the worship of the living God; and hereafter, we will not permit our pulpit to be prostituted from that high and sacred object.”

Very few churches were able to have a full-time pastor in those days, Ebenezer included; therefore, the trustees determined that the church would be used on the second and fourth Sundays each month, reserving the right to use it every Sunday when they were able to have a pastor every week.  But then they did something I found surprising, they re-invited the other churches to the use of the building.

There is an old saying, “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.”  One would assume, whether the conflict was about conflicting doctrine or “improper use,” that the “scorned” congregation would choose to count all as loss and keep the facility to themselves.  However, the trustees, in the same article, re-invited “our Methodist, Cumberland and Baptist brethren” to use the “house” at other times when not so occupied, stating that each groups is invited to “preach the word” as they understand it and to interpret their “own confessions of faith as they interpret them.”  They continued, “this has always been the practice of the Presbyterian Church here and everywhere.”

Looking back, I am proud to be serving a congregations whose forefathers were so in tune with God’s Word and Spirit that they recognized there are different interpretations, but the same God, and they chose to promote “those things that make for peace” (Romans 14:19), forgiving the conflict and attempting to restore the fellowship we share in Christ.  May God give us the strength and wisdom to do so today, so the world will know we are Christians because of the love we have for one another!

Blessings,

Mary Kay Glunt, Pastor
P.O. Box393
Greenfield, MO  65661
revmkg@sbcglobal.net

 

A Life that Leads

Any history should include mention of the women of the church.  Ebenezer has one such woman who must be mentioned, Mary McFarland, wife of the church’s second pastor.  She was educated at the well- known school founded by Mary Lyon in Massachusetts.  As a young woman she was known to be quite intelligent and perceptive and “caught the characteristic Missionary spirit” but could not decide which call to missions was stronger, home or foreign.  In those days, ”Arkansas was as far from new England then, to all practical effect, as China is now [1909]” (Stringfield, p. 286).  Surrendering to home missions at the age of 20-21, she traveled to Little Rock, and then to Fort Scott, where she became a governess.  There she met and married a home missionary, the Rev. John McFarland in about 1850-51.  Thereafter, the young bride and groom rode on horseback to Greenfield, Missouri, which they called home from then on.

“Mary McFarland, the minister’s gifted and devoted wife, was an important active factor in the work of this period.  She was not only interested in the work of the local church, but in the wider field of missions, and she was one of the first advocates of the Woman’s Presbyterian Missionary Society” (History).   As she worked to create this society for the women of this presbytery, she was often held back because of various ministers who were not sure whether it was a violation of Scripture for a woman to be a speaker in the church.  An article written in 1992 states, “One pastor of the presbytery who objected to such a female organization warned his wife not to join!”   Obviously, the strength of McFarland’s nature won out, as she worked tirelessly with the women of the various churches.  For many years thereafter she was known at the meetings of the organization as “Aunt Mary McFarland.”  She was an avid reader and, according to Stringfield, was a “veritable encyclopedia of missionary information among the women of our churches.”   In fact, the purpose of the missionary society was not just a time for women to meet, share recipes, and quilt, even though they did these things.  This “society” was, according to its name, to support missionary endeavors with prayer and with finances.

When Mr. McFarland retired from the pastorate of the Ebenezer church, a little log school house was built on their farm, two miles north of Greenfield, which was sometimes called Brush College.  It is said that it was the only school in the Southwest that survived the Civil War, or at least it was the only school of any kind at that time within a large area of the country.   “When some of the soldiers who have been her students at the beginning of the war returned to their homes, they went back to Mrs. McFarland’s school.  It is said they found being spelled down by the smaller students was about as disagreeable a sensation as being shot down by the enemy.  “

It is said that everyone loved Mrs. McFarland, especially the youth.  She was always involved in their lives, including their romantic relationships, “even when her hair was silvered” (Presbyterianism).  At the end of her earthly life, Mary McFarland was laid to rest in the Weir Cemetery.

As I stated in a previous article, the recitation of history means nothing if it does not influence, for good or bad, the present and the future.  Reading through the historical information concerning Mary McFarland, I find myself considering my own life and testimony.  What will be left after I am gone from this life?   Mary McFarland had a heart for missions and for education.  She went to a place that required hard work and commitment and gave of herself to those around her.  She left a legacy in education that included young people in leadership in church and society.  And her legacy among the Presbyterian women continues today throughout this presbytery.

The Scriptures talk about several aspects of the final judgment.  The first is that which concerns our salvation, and nothing we do can bring us through that judgment except for the blood and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which is given to us freely when we respond to God’s call in faith.  In talking about the judgment, the Bible further speaks of what of my life will remain when I stand before the Lord (1 Corinthians 3), saying that our works will be tried by fire.  What I use to “build” my life will determine what remains after that judgment.

With what are you building your life?  Will those things remain after the “trial by fire” when you stand before God?  The things that remain will be those built on the foundation of our faith in Jesus, not those that are for our own comfort, for our own notoriety, or to please those with whom we live.  Let us live for Christ and do those things that will last, so that those who come behind us will find us faithful.

Mary Kay Glunt, Pastor
revmkg@sbcglobal.net

revmkg.wordpress.com

P.O. Box 393
Greenfield, MO  65661

History of Dade County and Her People:  From the Date of the Earliest Settlements to the Present Time (November 1, 1917), online at www.archive.org.

Stringfield, Presbyterianism in the Ozarks, 1909.  Also available online at books.google.com.