Faith lives in the negative
Mixed images and emotions pervade my memories from junior high. Awkward is an understatement as I remember those emerging pimpling days. My burgeoning interest in girls and failed attempts to “go steady” really exposed my debonair deficit. The “old college try” had to begin sometime and somewhere.
What was a young man to do? I did what manhood demanded. Since I didn’t like being hit — hence my golf career — I became the manager of the football team. I reasoned even the least association with uniforms, heroism and brute force would win me points with Judy Newcomb. My plans, mostly a figment concocted on the false assumption success possesses a favorable conclusion when one’s motives are pure, yielded mixed results. Judy and I did go steady, briefly, which means a movie or two in group outings. It’s hard to be a man without a car. But let me get back to the point.
Prevalent in memory is one singular football practice. Standing on the sideline, bored, I decided to retreat to the locker room to wash towels. Clean towels are a major responsibility for any manager, and even in junior high, I knew it. The problem arose when the coach, needing a lackey, could not find me. His inevitable wrath ensued. Not yet a salesman, and never a quick thinker, I failed to convince him washing towels was a responsibility best pursued during practice.
Apparently doing the right thing at the wrong time is not a virtue. I conformed. I just hoped my misstep would not reach Judy’s ears. The Bible says Jesus got lectured by his parents when he was 12. There he was in the temple, going about his Father’s business, but forgetting to let Joseph and Mary know where he would be. He was doing the right thing at the wrong time. Jesus scolded the Pharisees for doing the wrong thing in the right places, tithing mint and dill and cumin, but forgetting the weightier matters of justice and mercy and faithfulness. They were like “whitewashed tombs, beautiful on the outside, but full of dead men’s bones.” (Matthew 23:27-28)
Faith is only belief when it is easy. Hard faith begins in the negative — the right thing at the wrong time. Societies, cultures and tribes possess their own set of rules. Compulsion and conformity are powerful forces mitigated by a desire for safety. Who really wants to go against the crowd? But when the shadows come and we are inclined toward fear, God demands an unnatural response.
If we claim God and are to be claimed by him, Jesus says, “move to the shadows.”
“Follow me,” he says, toward fear, the misunderstood, the lost, the different, the ones unlike us … and move away from the natural and easy and safe. It’s easy to do the wrong thing when the crowd makes it seem right.
Live in the negative.
Members of the homeless community gather at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church for the annual Community Homeless Memorial Dinner in High Point, N.C.
Photos by Laura Greene,
The High Point Enterprise via AP
Adairsville Church of God, 297 Old Dixie Highway, Adairsville, hosts Adairsville Church of God Kidz every Sunday morning at 11 a.m.
Church of the Living God, 19 Hillindale Road, will hold Watch Night services on Sunday at 8 p.m. Special singing by the Alabama group No Greater Love and others. For more information call Pastor James Abercrombie at 770-769-4338.
First Baptist Church of Rome, 100 E. Fourth Ave., holds Sunday School for all ages at 9:45 a.m. Worship is held at 11 a.m. and broadcast on Comcast channel 44. For more information visit www.fbcrome.org.
First Christian Church, 209 E. Second Ave., holds Sunday worship (casual/business casual dress) at 11 a.m. Sunday School meets at 10 a.m. Morning Coffee is each Thursday from 7-9 a.m. For more information contact the church office at romedisciples@gmail.com.
Gethsemane Baptist Church, 1377 Chulio Road, will have a New Year’s Eve night watch service on Sunday at 6 p.m. Brothers in Christ will be singing. For more information call 706-7282774 or Russell Wiggins at 706936-4891.
Glory Tabernacle Church, 300 Watson St., will hold a New Year’s Eve service at 8 p.m. For more information call 706-9369333 or 706-237-6800.
Greater Mount Calvary Baptist Church, 445 E. 14th St., will have Watch Night services on New Year’s Eve at 10:30 p.m. For more information call 706-234-2091 or 706-234-5047.
Holsey Sinai CME Church, 1233 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., will hold their annual candlelight service on Jan. 21 at 3 p.m. The Rev. Bryant T. Steans and Springfield Baptist Church will be the special guests.
Lovejoy Baptist Church, 436 Branham Ave., will hold Watch Night services on Sunday from 10 p.m.-midnight.
Lyerly United Methodist Church is selling their third cookbook, “Feeding the Flock.” Cookbooks can be purchased from any church member. To receive a cookbook by mail, send $13 to Lyerly United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 152, Lyerly, GA 30730. For more information call JoAnn Mitchell at 706-895-2636.
Mount Carmel Baptist Church, 514 E. 20th St., will have Watch Night services Sunday at 8 p.m. Special singing by Heartfelt.
New Canaan Baptist Church,3 Excelsior St., will have a singing Sunday at 6 p.m. with Ordained and the Helms Family. For more information contact Carey Wright at 706-766-1152.
Volunteers prepare plates of food to be served to the homeless and sheltered residents attending the Community Memorial Homeless Dinner.
Steve Key with Open Door Ministries lights a candle in remembrance of those who passed in 2017 as their names are read at the community dinner.
30 Orchard Road, Adairsville, hosts Celebrate Recovery, a Christcentered recovery program, every Monday night. Cross Talk Cafe at 6 p.m., large group worship at 7 p.m. and open share groups at 8 p.m. Visit www. northpointechurch.com or contact Kitty at 404-642-3605 for more information.
Pisgah Baptist Church, 5603 Alabama Highway, holds prayer every Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. The church will host Brotherhood Breakfast on Jan. 6 at 8 a.m. Call 706-767-8648 for more information.
Pleasant Valley North Baptist Church, 735 Old Summerville Road, holds a praise and worship service 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.
Rome First United Methodist Church, 202 E. Third Ave., offers contemporary worship in the Garnett M. Wilder Center at 9 a.m. and traditional worship in the historic sanctuary at 11 a.m. Sunday School and small groups for all ages meet at 10 a.m. There will be one worship service in the Garnett M. Wilder Center at 10 a.m. on New Year’s Eve.
St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, 42 Ash St., meets Sundays at 9:30 a.m. The church will celebrate the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ on Monday at 10 a.m. On Jan. 5, there will be a Twelfth Night celebration with snacks and games. On Jan. 6, the church will celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. For more information call 706-506-1241.
St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 911 N. Broad St., will have a normal Mass schedule this weekend starting Saturday evening at 5:30 p.m. in English and 7 p.m. in Spanish. Masses on Sunday will be at 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. The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, observed on Monday is not a Holy Day of Obligation this year since it falls on a Monday after the Sunday obligation. Solemnity Masses will be held on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. in Spanish and on Jan. 1 at noon in English. The church office will be closed on Monday. For additional information about any church activities or programs contact the church office at 706290-9000 or at DeaconNeslin@ smcrome.org.
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 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. Midweek Eucharist services are held on Tuesdays at 12:15 p.m. and on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. in the chapel. Sunday School/Christian Formation is available on Sundays at 11:15 a.m. for all ages of children, youth and adults. Nursery is offered during the 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist on Sunday. Children’s Chapel is also available for children ages pre-K through third grade during the 10 a.m. Sunday service. For more information call 706-291-9111 or visit www.stpetersrome.org.
Second Avenue United Methodist Church, 801 E. Second Ave., holds Sunday School at 10 a.m. and services with the Rev. Millie Kim at 11 a.m. For more information call David Gresham at 706237-7146 or visit www.2aveumc.org.
Silver Creek United Methodist Church, 36 Reeceburg Road, will sponsor a free community lunch Saturday from noon-2 p.m. in the fellowship hall. The menu will be ham, green beans, potato salad, rolls, dessert and drink. For more information call or text 706-506-6493.
Springfield Baptist Church, 113 Smith St., will host a joint Watch Night service with New Hope Baptist Church on Sunday at 10:30 p.m. Pastor Kenneth Woods will bring the message. Breakfast will be served following the service.
Third Street Ministries will give away free clothing to low-income and homeless residents of Rome on Jan. 6 from noon-4 p.m. in the parking lot of Rome First United Methodist Church, 202 E. Third Ave.
Transfiguration Episcopal Church, 304 Coker Drive, will have Lessons and Carols on Sunday at 11 a.m. and a pot luck lunch at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday Travelers will not meet this week. On Wednesday, Al-Anon will meet in the parish hall at noon and there will be a healing service with Holy Eucharist at 6 p.m.
Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1941 Shorter Ave., holds Sunday School for all ages at 9:45 a.m. Worship is at 11 a.m. The Rev. Dr. Greg Lund will preach a sermon titled “Dissonance Resolved.” A nursery is available. For further information call 706235-8561.
West Rome United Methodist Church, 1003 Shorter Ave., will hold services at 11 a.m. on Sunday. The sermon, “The Great Fulfillment,” will come from Luke 2:22-40. For more information visit the church website at www. westromeumc.org, call 706-234-6214 or email wrumc@bellsouth.net.