It’s raining red words

It’s been a dry, cold winter. Sitting at the keyboard, one might dispute the observation. As I write, raindrops are playing catch-up with the deficit. The temperature is 52 and rising.

The National Weather Service speaks of drought as departure. Depending on the micro-climate, we’ve departed seven inches from the norm over the last 90 days. Reports indicate a “fairly active synoptic pattern, with weather systems traversing the area every 4 to 7 days.” Soil conditions don’t favor synoptic patterns devoid of measurable precipitation. Lake pool levels and stream flows suffer, too. Huddling, squirrels forget their acorn caches. Instead, the pansies appear to be searching.

Sometimes our Christian life endures a dry, cold spell. The motions continue but the heart is searching while hibernating. I remember my own dry season. Good training and rote memory carried me while I lived like the Bible was just a suggestion. Living by my own sight made my relationships and life one-dimensional, but I was blind to the deficit.

Jesus talked about living by sight. Every red word in the Bible rains the message — it is the wrong way to live. But we struggle seeing beyond our own interests into the heart of our brethren, confused by voice tone, misperception, misconstruction and prejudice. We colonize our history with self-perception. Is a heart so hard to find or to be found?

What does it take to see beyond our limitation? Albert Edward Day says, “That (our own interest) is a persistent failure of the unemancipated consciousness. It can be so preoccupied with lesser realities that it does not sense the presence of the Divine Reality surrounding and sustaining it.” Day suggests the “what” is a collision with reality, awakening us to God himself. I might suggest “when” is an equal, if not weightier, more pressing question.

When will we see beyond? Perhaps when we are not so preoccupied with the guttural translations of our own sight. History, recent and atavistic, peers into our deficit and departure. We inch forward only to move backward. The apostle Paul answers. “That he would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height — to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge…” (Ephesians 3:16-19).

The short-term forecast is for rain. The long-term prediction is pessimistic. So, it’s good to see the rain. Spring is cheering for it. Meanwhile, I’m trying to see beyond the winter. More red words are forecast.

Chubb Chapel United Methodist Church, 1503 Chubb Road, Cave Spring, will celebrate Black History Month on Sunday at 11 a.m. with an open discourse about the movie “Hidden Figures.” Lunch will be served. Call 770-842-4715 for more information.

3773 Black’s Bluff Road, will have Old Fashioned Day in the morning service March 4 and a lamplight service that evening at 6 p.m. This will also be High Attendance Day in Sunday School at 10 a.m. For more information call 706-2919443.

1645 Cartersville Highway, holds Sunday School at 10 a.m. and a traditional worship service at 11 a.m. The church will be receiving new members into the congregation on Sunday and a covereddish lunch will follow. For more information email covenantpresbyterianchurch.epc@ gmail.com or visit www.covenantrome.org.

445 E. 14th St., will have a soul food dinner for Black History Month on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. The menu includes oxtails, neck bones, pigs’ feet, chicken, crackling bread, candied yams, cabbage, turnip greens, pinto beans, coleslaw, okra and more. Plates are $7 each. Plates include one meat, three vegetables, bread, dessert and drink. For more information call 706-234-2091 or 706-234-5047.

1233 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., will celebrate Men & Women Day on Sunday. Gloria Ware will be speaking at 11 a.m. and Pastor Bryant T. Steans and Springfield Baptist Church will be the guests at the 3 p.m. service. Dinner will be served at 2 p.m. For more information call Linda Creamer at 706-266-0703. 7-8:30 p.m. in the community room. Advance registration is requested if you require childcare. For more information call 706-346-7205 or register at www. BuildingPositiveFamilies.org.

is selling a cookbook titled “Feeding the Flock.” Cookbooks can be purchased from any church member or by sending $13 to Lyerly United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 152, Lyerly, GA 30730. For more information call JoAnn Mitchell at 706-895-2636.

1225 Rush Chapel Road, holds Sunday School for all ages at 9:45 a.m. and worship services with Pastor Nick Georgian at 10:55 a.m. For more information on additional activities or programs contact the church office at 706-291-7986 or email nick.georgian@ngumc.net.

42 Ash St., meets for Holy Communion on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. This Sunday a service of Morning Prayer will be held followed by the annual parish meeting. For more information call 706-506-1241.

911 N. Broad St., has weekend Masses on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. in English and 7 p.m. in Spanish. Masses on Sunday are 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. Friday night parish suppers and bilingual Stations of the Cross continue this week with dinner at 6 p.m. in the Parish Hall (donation requested) and Stations of the Cross at 7 p.m. The meal this evening is Latino foods provided by the Hispanic community of St. Mary’s. For additional information on any church activities or programs contact the church office at 706290-9000 or at DeaconNeslin@smcrome.org.

101 E. Fourth Ave., offers Sunday services of Holy Eucharist at 8:30 a.m. in the chapel and 10 a.m. in the church. A service of Holy Eucharist in Spanish is offered Sundays at 1 p.m. in the chapel. Midweek Eucharist services are Tuesdays at 12:15 p.m. and Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. in the chapel. During Lent, Stations of the Cross will be offered at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and evening prayer at 5:30 p.m. on Thursdays. Sunday School is on Sundays at 11:15 a.m. for all ages children, youth and adults. Nursery is offered during the 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist on Sunday. Children’s Chapel is offered for children ages pre-K-third grade during the 10 a.m. Sunday service. For more information call 706-291-9111 or visit www.stpetersrome.org.

6 Old Rockmart Road, Lindale, holds Sunday School at 9:45 a.m. followed by worship at 11 a.m. The Rev. Camille Josey will deliver the sermon “Footwork.” The scripture readings for this week are Psalm 51 from the Old Testament and John 13:117 from the New Testament. After worship the church will gather for their monthly Fellowship Luncheon. Visitors are invited to share the meal. Visit the church’s Facebook page at Silver Creek Presbyterian Church (USA) for additional church news and a link to the daily Lenten devotional readings and other information. For more information contact Janet Farr at 706-346-7268.

36 Reeceburg Road, Silver Creek, will offer a free community lunch on Saturday from noon-2 p.m. This ministry takes place the fourth Saturday of each month. For more information call or text 706-506-6493.

304 Coker Drive, will celebrate Holy Eucharist on Sunday at 11 a.m. A lunch and Lenten program will follow. On Feb. 28, AlAnon will meet at noon in the Parish Hall and Holy Eucharist will be at 6 p.m.

1941 Shorter Ave., will conduct Sunday School for all ages at 9:45 a.m. Worship is held in the Sanctuary at 11 a.m. The Rev. Greg Lund will preach a sermon titled “Custom Crosses.” A nursery and childcare are available.