Let me give to God his encore

They call it mountain time. I call it otherworldly, surreal in some ways, slow and dripping like that Salvador Dali painting. Things, people, even deer stand still on this mountain or move so slowly as to evade discernment. The Cumberland Plateau is just this place, slow, dripping with an ethos calling to a deeper sense, a sense escaping the endless cycle time demands.

A place like the plateau cannot escape the “time away” cliche but is better described as a place away from time. A heart and soul are slowed here so one can hear God’s whisper. We can learn from such a place, valuing the spirit, without time demanding its due and arresting us.

The good book talks about “this light affliction” — life, time, existence as we experience it. We should not be so attached to time, not so arrested and mired in its shallows — but we are. Valuing time is a contradiction, like a speeding Prius, we want the illusion without the sacrifice. We dabble in trivialities duped into the idea we own time but we are all Patriots toward something — time, place, country, culture, tribe, triviality.

“This light affliction” reveals a never-ending cycle while the different players muddle in illusion-making. Who among us stops and considers, considers anything but the satiation of immediate desire? The good book tells us life offers more than the immediacy of our want but who engages more? Is the object of our heart, soul, mind and strength misplaced? Is a “natural” Christian like a speeding Prius?

The Christian life is neither time nor place or attachment to country, culture, tribe or triviality. The Christian life follows God away from these “light afflictions” and moves forward, always forward toward grace and forgiveness and love. I do not believe in the “natural” Christian, but I believe we rise toward heaven as we move away from our earthly attachments toward our Christian creed. I still strive to practice what the good book preaches.

Renewal beckons me away from attachments. So, I pray. Allow me, O Lord, to delight in thee, to die each day to thee and live in your presence and grace so this light affliction may not separate us. G.K. Chesterton referenced God as a child. He said, “But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, ‘Do it again’ to the sun; and every evening, ‘Do it again’ to the moon … for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we. The repetition in nature may not be a mere recurrence; it may be a theatrical encore.”

And if God will delight me with a recurring, rising sun, perhaps he will whisper in my ear when at last I love and forgive, and say to me, “Deck, do it again!”

My soul seeks to rise. Let me give to God his encore. People gathered for a prayer session, led by LeMoine LePointe and his sons Thorne LaPointe and Wakinyan LaPointe, on the south side of White Earth Lake (Lake Calhoun) for the second annual Mde Maka Ska: Four Sacred Directions Water Walk in Minneapolis, Minn. This event, which celebrates Lake Bde

Cave Spring United Methodist Church, 30 Alabama St., Cave Spring, will host Eddie Elsberry from Berry College for a seminar on the Berry bald eagles on Saturday at 10 a.m. The seminar is free and open to the public. Lunch will be served. For more information call Karen Wetherington at 706-767-2819.

Community Chapel Baptist Church, 3773 Black’s Bluff Road, will host Brotherhood Breakfast on Saturday at 8 a.m. with the Rev. Ricky Studdard preaching. For more information contact Jerry Jacobs at 706-238-9060.

Faith Temple of Jesus Christ Overcoming Church of God, 542 Branham Ave., will have an early morning yard sale and fish and hot-dog plate sale on Saturday, Aug. 19. For more information call 706-936-8722 or 706-676-0930.

First Christian Church, 209 E. Second Ave., will hold worship (casual/business casual dress) Sunday at 11 a.m. with guest preacher Hamilton Barnes delivering a sermon titled “In Life and Death, We Belong to God.” Sunday School meets at 10 a.m. for a series led by the Rev. Cynthia McCarthy, “As We Believe: Spiritual Strategies for a Deeper Understanding of the Divine With Us.” Morning coffee is each Thursday from 7-9 a.m. For more information contact the Rev. Craig McDonald or the church office at romedisciples@gmail. com.

Friendship Baptist Church, 2293 Calhoun Road, will celebrate homecoming Sunday at 10:30 a.m. The Wilkes Quartet will be singing. Bring a covered dish for fellowship following the service. The church will not have Sunday School or evening service. For more information call Evelyn Tate at 706-295-1165.

Gethsemane Baptist Church, 1377 Chulio Road, will celebrate homecoming Aug. 20 at 10:30 a.m. Brother Buddy Floyd will be preaching and Redeemed will be singing. For more information call Dennis Ledford at 706-7282774.

Greater Mount Calvary Baptist Church, 445 E. 14th St., will celebrate homecoming and Family and Friends Day on Aug. 13 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. The Rev. James Wright and Cedar Springs Baptist Church, Cedartown, will be the guests at the 3 p.m. service. For more information call 706234-2091 or 706-234-5047.

Lovejoy Baptist Church, 436 Branham Ave., will hold its 103rd anniversary celebration Aug. 13 at 3 p.m. Pastor Stephen L. Caldwell Sr. and Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church will be the special guests.

McFall Baptist Church, 3011 Rockmart Highway, will have a benefit singing and bean supper for John Kidd on Saturday, at 5 p.m. For more information call 706-235-0928.

Mount Alto Baptist Church, 1915 Huffaker Road, will celebrate homecoming Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Music will be presented by special guest Karen Snow and the church ensemble. There will be lunch and a time of fellowship following service. The church will begin its AWANA program Aug. 13 at 6 p.m. for 3-year-olds through sixth-graders. An AWANA kickoff event will be held Aug. 20 at 6 p.m. with inflatables and food.

Maka Ska (Lake Calhoun) and was the kick off to the two-day MNI KI WAKAN Indigenous Peoples’ Decade of Water Summit that will convene diverse indigenous peoples and youth from the world community in the spirit of Mni Ki Wakan: Water is Sacred at First Universalist Church of Minneapolis.

New Victory Ministries CME Church will celebrate their 11th anniversary Aug. 13 with a combination of a morning and evening worship service. The keynote speaker for the 11 a.m. worship service will be Presiding Elder of the Atlanta/Rome District Jerry D. Woodfork. The keynote speaker for the 3 p.m. worship service will be Pastor Reginald McDaniel, Greater Mount Tabor Baptist Church, Armuchee.

The North Georgia General Missionary Baptist Association First Saturday Fellowship Service will be held Saturday at 9:45 a.m. with Pastor Terrell Shields and Greater Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, 445 E. 14th St.

Pleasant Valley North Baptist Church, 735 Old Summerville Road, holds a praise and worship services on Sundays at 10:45 a.m. in the fellowship hall with music by Ben Thornton and the Praise Band. A blended service is held at the same time in the sanctuary. The church will host revival Aug. 13-16 with the Rev. John Nix, Collierville, Tennessee, preaching. A free supper will be provided each night one hour before service. Music will be led by Minister of Music Jason Coffman and the choir. Services will start at 6 p.m. on Aug. 13 and at 7 p.m. nightly Aug. 14-16.

Rome First United Methodist Church, 202 E. Third Ave., will hold two worship services on Sunday. Contemporary worship will be held at 9 a.m. in the Garnett M. Wilder Center. Sunday School and small groups will meet at 10 a.m. Traditional worship will be held at 11 a.m. in the sanctuary.

St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, 42 Ash St., meets for Holy Communion Sundays at 9:30 a.m. A nursery is provided. Morning prayer will be held Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. For more information call 706-506-1241.

St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 911 N. Broad St., offers Saturday Vigil Masses at 5:30 p.m. in English and at 7 p.m. in Spanish; Sunday Masses are 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. in English and at 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. in Spanish. Beginning this Sunday, the former 1 p.m. Mass in Spanish will move to 12:30 p.m. and an additional Mass in Spanish will be offered on Sundays at 2 p.m. These changes are permanent. Registration for all parish religious education programs, including RCIA, the adult education program for those interested in joining the Catholic faith, will begin on this Sunday; forms and information are available in the church narthex and at the church office. For additional information on any church activities or programs contact the church office at 706-290-9000 or at DeaconNeslin@smcrome.org. Renee Jones Schneider / Star Tribune via AP

101 E. Fourth Ave., offers services of Holy Eucharist at 8:30 a.m. in the chapel and 10 a.m. in the church each Sunday. A service of Holy Eucharist in Spanish is offered Sundays at 5 p.m. in the chapel. Midweek Eucharist services are held on Tuesdays at 12:15 p.m. and on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. in the chapel. During the 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist a nursery is provided as well as Children’s Chapel for children ages pre-K through third grade. For more information call 706291-9111 or visit www. stpetersrome.org.

Silver Creek Presbyterian Church, 6 Old Rockmart Road, will gather for their monthly Fellowship Breakfast Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Worship led by the Rev. Camille Josey will begin at 11 a.m. The Old Testament Scripture passage is Genesis 32:22-31 and New Testament Scripture reading is Matthew 14:13-21. This week’s sermon title is “Crossing the Jabbok.” The church is collecting toiletries to be given to YMCA for distribution to those in need and pet food and supplies for PAWS. For more information contact Janet Farr at 706346-7268.

Southside Baptist Church, 108 Glover St., will hold revival Aug. 14-18 at 7 p.m. nightly. The Rev. Kennith Crow will preach Monday-Wednesday, the Rev. Bill Towe will preach Thursday and the Rev. Charles Champion will preach Friday. For more information call 678-457-7921.

Transfiguration Episcopal Church, 304 Coker Drive, will celebrate Holy Eucharist and host Bishop Wimberly Sunday at 11 a.m. Lunch will be served following service. Tuesday Travelers will meet at Rhino Smokehouse, 3349 Martha Berry Highway, at 6:30 p.m. On Wednesday, Al-Anon will meet in the parish hall at noon and there will be a public service of healing with Eucharist at 6 p.m. On Thursday, there will be an Alcoholics Anonymous women’s meeting at 6 p.m.

West Rome United Methodist Church, 1003 Shorter Ave., will hold service Sunday at 11 a.m. The sermon titled “And So It Begins” will come from Mark 1:1. For more information visit www. westromeumc.org.

The Women’s Auxiliary of the North Georgia General Missionary Baptist Association will hold Women’s Revival 2017 Aug. 15-17 at 7 p.m. nightly at Bethesda Baptist Church, 440 Plainville Road, Plainville. The guest speakers are Evangelist Mary Mays, Minister Arlitza Printup and Evangelist Dr. Joann Crowder.