Pastor's Blog
July 7, 2011 at 2:57 pm by: Cynthia McBride
Greetings from Nashville
Dear Church Family -
I am thinking of you all as I find myself in the "heart" of Discipledom...
Nashville, TN is home to Vanderbilt University - the site of one of our Disciples Divinity Houses where Pastors train, earning the Master of Divinity degree. When I was a student at Lexington Theological Seminary, I visited here for a seminarians' event. I am staying at the "Scarritt Bennett Conference Center near Vandy - a site closely tied with the history of the Women's Mission Board of the United Methodist Church - and right across the street from the Disciples of Christ historical society. I've just returned from a visit there to review some of the historical materials that we have on file.
Throughout the years, Disciples' congregations send original items of historical interest to be safely preserved for future generations. Since this is our 90th year of ministry, I was curious to see what they might have kept for us at FCC Casper. Along with pictorial directories and annual reports, there are: newspaper clippings (including a photo of Truce Lewellyn as one of four Casper clergy participating in a televised debate), photographs (of our former site and of our current building under construction), and significant bulletins (a service of dedication for the building's cornerstone & the dedication of the building, and from our 50th and 75th anniversary celebrations).
This got me thinking - I wonder which member of FCC Casper might have the oldest photo of a church event, who might have the most pictures of past ministers or of youth group events, are there any of our members who have historical materials of which the church doesn't have a copy? As we mark our 90th year - pull out YOUR family scrap books & photo albums and see how FCC intersected with your family's life.
Right now, in Nashville at the historical society, there's a wonderful display of "famous Disciples." This exhibit is also accessible online. Go to www.discipleshistory.org and check out:
Some Assembly Required
Putting Famous Faces in Disciples Frames
Among our members:
three U.S. Presidents (Ronald Reagan, James Garfield,
scientist Michael Faraday
artists/performers (Bill Thomas who appeared on Broadway & in the Cosby Show, singer Janis Joplin,composer Hoagy Charmichael)
authors: Edgar Cayce and Lew Wallace (who wrote Ben Hur)
activist Carry Nation
restaurant chain founder Colonel Sanders
athletes: golfer Ben Hogan and NCAA coach John Wooden
Plus some who are a bit more notorious:
bank robber John Dillenger and Jim Jones (leader of Jonestown in Guyana)
It's fun to reconnect with the "inlaws and outlaws" of our church family. Right now at the Conference Center, there are pre-assembly gatherings of Disciples' chaplains, Congo missionaries, and folks attending a Stewardship event. General Assembly officially begins on Satuday, and I encourage you to follow along online at www.disciples.org.
Rick