My Sunfleck Moment

But it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NKJV).

It’s hard to begin where there is no end. And thus, this is Daniel’s life within me, a beginning yet to end. Our friendship began in naivete. We bonded despite my lack of knowledge about Southern ethnic divides. I did not know I should consider him a lesser. Perhaps pre-ordained in me, I was uninitiated about supposed-to-be attitudes. I looked up to Daniel.

My African-American friend had a soft-spoken quality that put me at ease. I don’t remember the day he came into my life, but I know I began playing golf at age eight. Our crossing happened around this time.

It’s hard to describe what we cannot see, grasp what we cannot touch or listen to what we cannot hear, so Corinthians says.

In the 1960’s, pre-teens lived unchained by time and technology, cocooned in a non-algorithmic world. Three dimensional, unstructured experiences were the norm. Imagination filled our senses. We learned through interplay. Daniel urged my growth by goodnatured teasing, cajoling and example. I reveled in delight from his interest in me. Daniel came into my life, silently beneath my awareness, unseen, untouched, unheard. His spirit remains in me.

How do we know what has always been and what will always be?

“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from or where it goes. So is everyone born of the Spirit” (John 3:8, NKJV). As God’s Holy Spirit comes and urges us toward His eternal peace, his Spirit also reveals truth. In 1 Corinthians 2:10, the apostle Paul says, “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.” The Holy Spirit reveals as a sunfleck moment in the forest we call life.

I moved through life from one willed intent to the next, looking for those sunfleck moments, God’s irradiant beams of light illuminating His truth. I did not realize Daniel was my first illumination. Remembering him, I came to know what has always been and what will always be – God whispers to us through the Holy Spirit urging us toward the ‘deep things of God’ while we cling to the familiar.

“For ‘who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?’ But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16, NKJV). My time with Daniel awakened me to differences among mankind. Concealed by my willed intentions, latent, the Holy Spirit had awakened me through Daniel to the truth we are unified in the mind of Christ.

My time with Daniel remains in me. It’s hard to end when there is no beginning. And so, it is with the Holy Spirt.

“Those who have ears to hear, let them hear” (Matthew 11:15).

Amazing Grace Baptist Church, 266 Prater Road, Kingston, holds Sunday School at 10 a.m. Worship is at 11 a.m. on Sundays and evening services are at 6 p.m. Wednesday night worship is at 7 p.m.

Covenant Presbyterian Church (EPC), 1645 Cartersville Highway, will hold traditional worship at 11 a.m. with an invitation to communion. For further information email covenantpresbyterianchurch.epc@gmail. com, visit the church’s Facebook page or www.covenantrome.org.

First Baptist Church of Cave Spring, 4 Cedartown St., Cave Spring, will hold patriotic program titled “God Bless America” July 1 at 6 p.m. featuring patriotic music and presentations, a salute to all branches of the military, a tribute to the song “God Bless America” in recognition of its 100th anniversary and more. Refreshments will be served following in the church fellowship hall. For more information call 706-802-8773.

Greater Mount Tabor Baptist Church, 259 Herring Road, Armuchee, will celebrate Family & Friend’s Day on July 8 at 2 p.m. Pastor Khyri Rogers and St. Luke Baptist Church, Cedartown, will be the guests.

Holsey Sinai C.M.E. Church, 1233 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., will be honoring their pastor, the Rev. Dr. Paul W. Gardner, and Leading Lady Leatrice Gardner with an appreciation service on July 8 at 3 p.m. The Rev. Kenneth Woods and the New Hope Baptist Church will be the special guests.

Jehovah’s Witnesses, www.jw.org., will host their annual regional Bible convention July 20-22 and July 27-29 in English and Aug. 31-Sept. 2 in Spanish at the Forum River Center, 301 Tribune St. Sessions will begin at 9:20 a.m. daily. The theme is “Be Courageous.”

Lovejoy Baptist Church, 436 Branham Ave., is hosting a free “Summer Explosion” summer camp for children ages 5-16 through July 27 from 8 a.m.-noon daily. Breakfast and lunch will be served. Activities include games, arts and crafts, a computer lab, academics and tutoring and recreation and sports.

Lyerly United Methodist, 105 Oak Hill Road, Lyerly, holds Sunday School for ages 2 and up at 10 a.m. The church is handicapped accessible. For further information call Pastor Marshall Bryan at 706-409-0329. The church is seeking vendors for their tenth annual car & truck show and craft festival on Aug. 11 from 8 a.m.-3 p.m., rain or shine, at Dowdy Park, Summerville. Booth rental is $20 for a 15’x15’ area. Vendors provide their own tent, tables and chairs. For an application or more information call Judy Motes at 706-857-6008 and leave a message or email Marie Hanna at mariehanna@windstream. net with your questions. The church’s 2017 Feeding the Flock cookbook 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.

Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church, 17 E. Pennington Ave., will celebrate their 120th church anniversary on July 8 at 3 p.m. The Rev. B.J. Sims Jr. and Friendship Baptist Church, Cedartown, will be the special guests. For more information call 706-234-6413.

New Canaan Baptist Church, 3 Excelsior St., has Sunday School at 10 a.m. and worship at 11 a.m. Evening services are at 6 p.m. on Sundays and 7 p.m. on Wednesdays. For more information call Carey Wright at 706-766-1152.

New Life of St. John Baptist Church, 419 Walter St., will celebrate the anniversary of their Male Chorus on Sunday at 3 p.m. All groups, choirs and praise dancers are invited. For further information contact Minister Gussie Turrentine at 706-331-1824.

Pisgah Baptist Church, 5604 Alabama Highway, holds Sunday School at 9:45 a.m. and morning service at 10:50 a.m. Sunday evening services are at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday morning prayer service is held every week at 8:30 a.m. Bible study is held Wednesday nights at 7 p.m. The church will host Brotherhood Breakfast July 7 at 8 a.m. with Tracy Nelson speaking. The church will host Sports Camp July 23-27 for ages 4-12 from 9 a.m.-12:15 p.m. daily. For more information on camp call Kirby Rowland at 256-523-1518. For more information on other church activities call 706-235-4119 or 706-292-0462.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, 500 Division St., has a food pantry every Monday and Wednesday from 5-6 p.m.

Pleasant Hope Baptist Church, 5935 Rockmart Road, Silver Creek, is accepting résumés at pleashop@bellsouth.net for a part-time music director and worship leader. For more information contact Pastor Joel Walker at 706-235-2800.

Pleasant Valley North Baptist Church, 735 Old Summerville Road, holds a casual dress praise and worship service led by Ben Thornton and Praise Band at 10:45 a.m. each Sunday in the Christian Life Building. Sermons are simulcast in the Christian Life Building from the sanctuary. Blended worship services are held in the sanctuary at 8:30 and 10:45 a.m. For more information call Pastor Mac McCurry at 706-232-6426.

Rome First United Methodist Church, 202 E. Third Ave., will hold one morning worship service in the sanctuary at 10 a.m. on Sundays throughout July.

Rush Chapel United Methodist Church, 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.

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

St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 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. St. Mary’s Ladies’ Social and Dinner will be held at the Palladium on July 18; see the information in the church narthex (vestibule). Sunday Rosary Group continues to meet in the church each Sunday at 5 p.m. For additional information on any church activities or programs contact the church office at 706-290-9000 or at DeaconNeslin@smcrome.org.

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 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. Nursery is offered during the 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist on Sunday. For more information call 706-291-9111 or visit www. stpetersrome.org.

Shorter Avenue Baptist Church, 1410 Shorter Ave., holds Bible study for all ages at 9:45 a.m. on Sundays with morning worship at 10:45 a.m. and evening worship at 6 p.m. Wednesday night services are at 6:30 p.m.

Silver Creek Presbyterian Church, 6 Old Rockmart Road, Lindale, will have Fellowship Breakfast at 9:30 a.m. and worship led by the Rev. Travis Webster at 11 a.m. on Sunday. The Rev. Webster is enrolled at Columbia Theological Seminary as a student in the Th.D. for Pastoral Counseling program, serves as a pastoral counselor in training at the Training and Counseling Center at St. Luke’s in Atlanta and is a cofounder with his wife Karen of the Healthy Seminarians-Healthy Church Initiative. The Scripture passages will be selected verses from 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27 from the Old Testament and Mark 5:21-43 from the New Testament. The sermon title is “A Lesson in Opposites.” The Sacrament of Holy Communion will be shared during worship. For more information contact Janet Farr at 706-346-7268, visit the church’s Facebook page or silvercreekpcusa.org.

Springfield Baptist Church, 113 Smith St., will celebrate their Mother’s Board anniversary Sunday at 3 p.m. Pastor Johnny Beasley and Great Fellowship Baptist Church, Decatur, will be the guests. Dinner will be served at 2 p.m.

State Line Baptist Church, 8536 Blacks Bluff Road, Cave Spring, will host Vacation Bible School July 9-13 from 5:308:30 p.m. nightly. For more information call 678-988-0339.

Transfiguration Episcopal Church, 304 Coker Drive, will celebrate Holy Eucharist Sunday at 11 a.m. Al-Anon will meet at noon on July 4. There will be no healing service that evening. Priest-inCharge is the Rev. Linda Pineo. For more information call 706-234-0197.

Trinity United Methodist Church, 606 Turner McCall Blvd., holds Sunday School classes for children, youth and adults from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. Nursery is offered during the Sunday School hour and the 11 a.m. Sunday service. Sunday evening services are at 6:30 p.m. The church is currently having a series titled “One: A Season of Unity and Love.” For more information visit trinityrome.com or call the church office at 706-291-0033.

Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1941 Shorter Ave., holds Sunday School for all ages at 9:45 a.m. and worship with Holy Communion at 11 a.m. on Sundays. Visiting minister the Rev. Tom K. Wood will be preaching. A nursery is available.

West Rome United Methodist Church, 1003 Shorter Ave., will hold Sunday services at 11 a.m. The sermon “A Fair Balance” comes from 2 Corinthians 8:7-15. For more information call 706234-6214, email wrumc@bellsouth.net or visit www.westromeumc.org.

Wilkerson Road Baptist Church, 323 Wilkerson Road, holds Sunday School at 10 a.m. and worship services at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Sundays. Wednesday night Bible study is at 7 p.m. The church will host Vacation Bible School July 10-12 from 6:40-9 p.m. nightly. Snacks will be provided. Registration forms may be picked and returned on the church’s front porch. For more information call 706-767-1664.