The good people of the First Waughtown Baptist Church were consumed by utter jubilation – it was Baptism Sunday. Wearing the best of their Sunday best they sang hymns as they proceeded to the banks of the Belview Creek not far from the Church and just beyond the old Belview School. The candidate for baptism was none other than my mother’s distant relation Brother Hines. Bro Hines hailed from a strong old Baptist family and his people were numbered amongst the founders of First Waughtown and it’s mother church First Baptist Winston and his father was a Baptist pastor of the family church in Davidson County.

Gathered upon the banks of the beautiful creek they continued their hymn singing and they were so engaged in the service that they failed to notice that the Candidate for Baptism was anxiously trying to get their attention.

During a break in their singing, their esteemed and beloved pastor J. P. Joyce began his Baptism liturgy: “In obedience to the command of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and based, on the profession of your faith …” and he was about to reach for Bro. Hines. When Bro. Hines who was a stutterer screamed “de de de de de de deah (there) is a DAMN snake over there.”.

Nearly eight decades later we still laugh at this story. I wonder if we aren’t far removed from the good old brothers and sisters of the First Waughtown Baptist Church and they really were good people. I wonder if we too aren’t so consumed by the work of the church that we fail to hear and see the cries for help right around us.

Even so may we find strength in those words from Psalm 34:17. “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.”

Enjoying the journey,

Spencer