I grew up in an old white church.
The outside was white, the inside was white, and the congregation was....well, white.
My favorite minister of that Methodist Church was Reverend Nicholson. He was originally from Mississippi (not at all, all white) and served our NW Iowa church in the late 70's and early 80's. He had the most amazing sounding voice to this little girl who hung on his every word....
That southern drawl, mixed with a little, strike that, A LOT of southern sass, and God's love held my attention for many years.
That voice cut through a fog I was in the other day while I was feeling pretty low. I heard his voice as clearly as if I was sitting in the same pew wearing my Sunday dress and Mary-Jane's in 1978.
I heard his voice saying the benediction he said every Sunday that I can remember - it goes a little like this (You can imagine the drawl): And now, unto Him, who is able to keep you from falling; and to present you faultless before His throne of Glory. To Him be dominion and power both now and forever more. Amen.
Those words.... they comforted me for more years than I can tell you, but the other day? Well, the other day they actually sunk in to me - to the very core, and tapped on that little girl's heart that still beats in a 44 year old woman's body.
I know they come from the book of Jude 1:24-25 - The King James version: Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen
That voice....
That voice and the twinkling eyes that went along with it and the smile.
Able to keep you from falling...
Man, it feels like I've done a lot of falling since I first heard those words. Stresses of family - feeling like I've failed as a wife and mother. Stresses of work and finances, bad decisions, indecisions, you name it, I've felt it. Felt like I couldn't stop falling, yet HE is able to keep me from falling....
Faultless.... present ME faultless?
I'm a fan of the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser....I mean, I've raised kids, right?!? That little tool is amazing at making marks disappear. Color on the wall? Poof! Gone. Football helmet needs to be shined up? Poof! Good as new.
Now I'm not saying being presented faultless before God is like a magic eraser, but maybe there IS a bit of a comparison there.... That horrible decision I made that made me lose sleep? Give it to Jesus. Poof! It's gone. Cleansed, and able to be presented faultless....
To Him be Glory.... YOU BET!
I went to the good old web and found Rev. Nicholson's obituary.... you see, he died in 2009 - on Christmas Day. Pretty cool for a minister. I found out some interesting things about this man whose voice is written on my heart.... things that I wanted to share with you. Things that a young girl from conservative northwest Iowa didn't have a clue about back in the day. Things that make my heart smile knowing that the same man that did amazing work in Mississippi, did amazing work in me.
James B, Nicholson, 86, a retired United Methodist minister and one of the original 28 United Methodist ministers in Mississippi who signed the document "Born of Conviction", taking a stand against racism, went to his Heavenly home on Christmas Day.
In January 1963, Rev. Nicholson, along with the 27 other clergy, drafted, signed and published a document titled "Born of Conviction" which helped fuel the civil rights movement that began to take place in Mississippi. At that time they faced wide criticism for their actions; "some were ousted from their congregation and faced death threats, some left freely, and some stayed and fought". The Mississippi United Methodist Annual Conference publicly welcomed twenty of the remaining members of the group in 2005 honoring them and the changes made in the United Methodist Church in the last four decades.
Rev. Nicholson or "Big Daddy" as he was fondly called, shared his love of the outdoors and was instrumental in the Iowa United Methodist camping program as he helped develop many adventure camps for the Iowa Conference during the 70s and 80s. He had a spiritual impact on hundreds of Iowa youth as they fished and canoed through the Canadian waters learning about love and faith through Jesus Christ.
I'll say he had a HUGE impact on me during the 70's and 80's - enough so, that 30 years later his words still comfort me.
Hopefully, they can comfort you.
One last thing.... every so often he had an extra tid-bit of information that in his words, "I just threw that in for nothin'. Won't cost you a penny." So in that spirit, here's a picture of the man who shaped my early faith and still speaks to me when I need to be reminded that yes, HE will keep me from falling into the depths of despair and depression, and yes, HE will present me faultless before the throne of Glory.
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