Dragonflies

“Joy…is as notoriously unpredictable as the one who bequeaths it” (Frederick Buechner, Wishful Thinking). _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Earlier this month I was out in the back yard cutting the grass. Suddenly all around me there were dragonflies, darting, circling, dipping. I had never seen so many, merely the odd one here and there, and always in the front yard. The photo I feature here, by my wife Susan, is of one such insect that was basking in the sun and stayed still long enough on our front walk for the picture to be taken.

I was so impressed with the sight of so many of these beautiful insects that I decided to try to find out if they meant anything special to cultures ancient and (post)modern. What I discovered was fascinating.

In ancient Japan, the presence of dragonflies meant a good rice harvest; they were also believed to bring good luck in battle. In paintings, they represented new life and joy. They continue to be symbols of courage, strength, and happiness in contemporary Japan.

Native American cultures also saw the insect as a symbol of life, featuring it on their ceremonial pottery. One story tells of a dragonfly made of corn and straw that came to life as a messenger of the gods and saved the people in a time of drought and famine.

Other and more modern interpretations focus on the dragonfly as an old and adaptive insect or as an inhabitant of two realms, namely, air and water. So, according to this way of thinking, if you have the dragonfly as your totem (spirit guide, patronus), you may be emotional and passionate in early years, but gain more balance and control in maturity. The insects are also associated with creative imagination and our calling to reflect the light of the divine image in us. They stand for the power to gain vision, to change and grow.

Whatever they may mean, they were a gift from God to me that particular day. The sight of them filled with me with joy, hope, and excitement. They came unbidden and unexpected, and I only saw them once more, the next day. But that’s how the gifts of God are. He grants what we need for the moment, whether a marvelous sight or extraordinary boldness, strength to keep going or sudden insight into a difficult problem. Indeed, he is as gloriously unpredictable as the flight of a darting dragonfly reflecting the light of the sun.

© 2009 Tom Cheatham 

 

 

“As One Unknown”

“He comes to us as One unknown, without a name, as of old, by the lake side, He came to those men who knew Him not. He speaks to us the same word: ‘Follow thou me!’ and sets us to the tasks which He has to fulfill for our time. He commands. And to those who obey Him, whether they be wise or simple, He will reveal Himself in the toils, the conflicts, the sufferings which they shall pass through in His fellowship, and, as an ineffable mystery, they shall learn in their own experience Who He is” (Albert Schweitzer).

“ …their eyes were kept from recognizing him” (Luke 24:16).

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Recently CNN/HLN reported that Bob Dylan was stopped last month by police after someone called the authorities to report a “suspicious” man who might be a prowler. Apparently, Dylan, clad in a jacket with the hood up, was taking a walk in the rain before a performance and was looking in the windows of vacant houses for sale. The 24 year-old police officer who questioned him recognized his name when he gave it, but Dylan had no ID to prove who he was. The young woman only believed the legendary singer was who he claimed to be when they drove to his tour bus and everyone testified to his identity (see http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/08/17/outlaw-blues-bob-dylan-stopped-by-cops-after-suspicious-walk/).

It seems incredible to me that someone would look at that face we have been seeing since the ‘60s and not know it belonged to Bob Dylan. But then, the disciples failed to recognize Jesus on several occasions. Even Mary Magdalene thought he was the gardener on Easter Day (John 20:14,15).

If you’re wondering why I’m spending time on a story about Bob Dylan, it’s because I see in it some clues about the difficulties people may have recognizing Jesus for who he is. It also helps us understand how the Church might better carry out the task of helping the world believe that Jesus is who he claimed to be.

First, Dylan was in a hood, mysterious and, to the caller, “suspicious.” Christ was once shrouded in mystery (“veiled in flesh the Godhead see,” as the hymn says). But now the mystery has been revealed (Romans 16:25,26; Ephesians 1:9 and elsewhere), and we are to make it known. Yet I wonder if we in the Church do not keep Christ hidden behind our jargon and ritual and most of all, by our inaction. The way people see the face of Christ is in our faces, feel his touch is through our touch, experience his welcome is through our welcome. If Christ is unknown, it is because we have stayed behind our walls, whether of stone or of fear, keeping him hidden. And when we have ventured out, we have not “lowered our hoods,” as it were, in order that the world may see the shining glory of Christ in us. Yet such revelation is precisely our calling. As the Scripture says: “And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Second, the young woman who questioned the rock star had little experience with him. She knew his name, but that was it. Given her generation, probably she was not particularly familiar with “Blowin’ in the Wind” or “Positively 4th St.” If she had watched “Battlestar Galactica” on TV, she would have heard “All Along the Watchtower” several times, but may not have known it was written by Dylan. I doubt if she had seen a concert by, or read an article about, the singer.

What experience have our neighbors had with us as believers? Are we out and about, visible, involved, always available and helping when some need presents itself or there is some way we can contribute to the good of the community? And how is our public involvement perceived? The Church is to be the visible demonstration of what God intends for all humankind, the presence of Christ. Does our behavior lead others to think that Jesus was intolerant, judgmental, prejudiced, narrow, hurtful, and concerned with institutional maintenance and rules above all? Or do we reveal what our Lord was really like, the Jesus to whom the Scriptures testify—winsome; caring; concerned with the vulnerable and the marginalized; impatient with injustice and self-righteousness but helpful to those who admitted their need; and most of all, willing to give himself even for those who hated him? Encountering us, will people say "I like your Christ; I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ” (Gandhi)? Or will their experience of Christ through us be positve and winning, a true reflection of our Savior?

Finally, the police officer eventually believed Dylan was who he claimed to be when those traveling with him bore witness to his identity. Of course, that is the key task of the Church: to bear witness. “And you shall be my witnesses,” commanded and promised Jesus (Acts 1:8). If we keep quiet, if our lives are not authentic representations of our Lord’s life, then he will remain as one unknown.

But God forbid that should happen. Let us tell the old, old story of Jesus and his love. Let us live as faithful disciples, truly following the Way (Acts 9:2).

© 2009 Tom Cheatham

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Three R’s for Higher Education Sunday

This post is dedicated to my niece Page and nephew Julian, both of whom begin college this month, and to all in the Class of 2013.

"The future of ‘mainline’ Christianity in North America, as well as the future of the university, will be profoundly affected by the way in which Christians, among others, relate to the intellectual project of the West at this crucial juncture in its history (postmodernity)”—(Douglas John Hall, Confessing the Faith).

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This Sunday, August 16th, is Higher Education Sunday across the Presbyterian Church (USA). In this post, I want to offer some practical suggestions for observing the day, my “three R’s” for campus ministry.

First, ritual. Holy Communion and Baptism are both sorely neglected in the PC(USA), despite the call in our standards for frequent Communion (Book of Order W-2.4009) and for remembering the grace of God at work in Baptism (W-2.3009). Yet both sacraments can be a tremendous resource of strength, encouragement, and community building for college students, faculty, and staff. So I long for the day when each congregation located in a university or college town provides a weekly opportunity for receiving Holy Communion. And I would be thrilled if those same congregations would emphasize the call and the comfort of God in Baptism somehow in those same services and in every time of worship. One great way to do this is to offer an ancient/future or a contemporary service on a Sunday or Wednesday evening for students and others. In those times, the community can remember Baptism in some creative way upon entering the sanctuary, then later celebrate together as all come to the Table.

Second, reminders. Let us remember that God is already on campus; we don’t “take” him there nor do we need to “take back” the campus for God. None of us possesses God. The highest heaven cannot contain him; how much less the church, the university, any human construct or institution (see 1 Kings 8:27)! God is already at work on campus in the lives of his people there and by the Spirit in ways both hidden and open in the institution itself. Our task is to discern where and how God is acting and join him!

Let us also recall that our college students are the Church now. Well-meaning people often speak of them as “the future of the Church,” and I try to hear the words of support of campus ministry in such comments. But too often ministry in higher education is seen as a way to grow congregations or ensure new blood for leadership tomorrow. I am firmly convinced that God will not honor such viewpoints. He will give success when we begin to see college students as valuable in their own right, for their ideas, their leadership, and ther commitment now, and give them meaningful opportunities to serve and to bear witness.

We need also to pay attention to faculty and staff. They are living out their baptismal vocation in the college and university. These faithful people are seeking to serve our Lord through their engagement with ideas, their guidance of students, their help with procedures and problems, and in so many other ways. In any celebration of higher education ministry, they need to be remembered. Perhaps they could be commissioned in worship at the start of the school year for their work. (See the Book of Occasional Services.)

Finally, resources. Let me simply point you to some helpful websites, then give a few suggestions about ways individuals can remember college students. To find out more about PC(USA) collegiate ministries, go to http://www.pcusa.org/collegiate/index.htm and also to www.pachem.org (Presbyterian Association for Collegiate and Higher Education Ministries; some of the resources on this site reguire registration, but that’s free). For a wonderful resource for progressive young adult Christians, visit www.livingthequestions.com and click on “Dream, Think, Be, Do.” Note that this curriculum piece costs about $300. Finally, if you are in a community college town, check out www.listeningpostinc.org, a well-established and respected franchise program that promotes listening among generations.

Or how about these simple ideas? Recruit one or a few interested people in your congregation to keep in touch with students, faculty, and staff, doing things like remembering birthdays or other anniversaries (a parent’s death, for example), sending exam snack bags, and keeping up by Facebook. Establish a program linking students with older folk in the church who can be a local resource for them. And finally, pray for students, faculty, and staff and all who minister with and to them.

I trust these ideas will be helpful to you as you celebrate Higher Education Sunday. It’s my fervent hope and prayer that our Church can recover its vision for ministry in higher education. And that begins with you and me. May God bless our efforts!

© 2009 Tom Cheatham

 

 

Taking a Break

I’ll be taking a break for at least the next two weeks.

Thanks for reading.

 

Just Like Meatloaf and Fried Okra

I love the “Go Figure” column in our denominational magazine, Presbyterians Today. Jack Marcum writes it, and he always has some fascinating statistics to share. In the July/August 2009 issue, Jack tells about the findings of a survey supporting the work of the Presbyterian Committee on Congregational Song (PCOCS), which is working on a possible new hymnal. (For more on PCOCS, see the note at the end of this post.)

Research Services discovered from their work that a number of hymns in our Presbyterian Hymnal (1990) were neglected. Notable among these were many based on the Psalms (interesting, since the Reformed tradition once sang nothing but metrical psalms) and some of those from other cultures. But all the infrequently sung hymns shared a common characteristic: they were written after 1959. In contrast, 82% of the most widely sung hymns were penned before 1900.

That information got my wife and me thinking about how hymns really ought to be classified in the hymnal. It’s standard to arrange them around the liturgical year (Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, etc.) or the work of the persons of the Trinity. There are also hymns for the time of day, the sacraments, and so on.

But it seemed to us that hymns are a great deal like food. So why not list them according to a simple menu: starters, entrees, desserts, lighter fare? In the first category might be those little Sunday school choruses or maybe some Taize pieces, something quick that won’t spoil your appetite for the grand four- or even six-verse spread to come. Of course, under “entrees” would have to be those old hymns. Isn’t it true that those are beloved because they’re like comfort food? People love them not because the words or music is particularly sophisticated or theologically sound, but because they grew up with them, and singing the songs takes folks back to their childhoods. They’re like mama’s meatloaf or some really crusty fried okra and homemade mac ‘n’ cheese. (OK, that’s my comfort food; yours may be different.)

Also under entrees could be placed those more modern hymns that have “better ingredients” (that is, theology more faithful to the denomination’s standards). They’re rather like those “heart healthy” meals at some restaurants that have a little symbol next to them to tell you they’re low in fat or whatever. So the editors of the hymnbook could put a cross or probably the denominational seal (of approval?) next to the number. And preachers and choir directors could pick them and make people sing them once in awhile, but it would be like trying to get a kid to eat veggies.

Finally, the desserts. The folks I know that love praise and worship music don’t like my saying this, but this is where most of that stuff belongs. Sugary sweet tunes and words that fill us up with empty calories and give us a bit of a high, maybe even a brain freeze. Still, who doesn’t love desserts?

OK, that’s my take on what needs to be done for the new hymnal. Now I’m going to go  sing “There is a Fountain Filled with Blood,” then pig out on okra.

© 2009 Tom Cheatham

Note: For serious engagement with the work of the Presbyterian Committee on Congregational Song (PCOCS), visit their website at www.presbyterianhymnal.org. Their acronym, by the way, is pronounced “peacocks.” Long before the iconic bird of the TV network or the color revolution for men’s clothing back in the day, the peacock was a symbol of the resurrection.

 

 

Out of Gas or Adding Value?

The past couple of weeks Susan and I have experienced exemplary customer service as well as rudeness, carelessness, and apathy from businesses. All of it was memorable.

There was the fast food restaurant that slathered mayo on our to-go burgers despite our request that the condiment be left off. Or the lady at the cable company who was curt, then hung up on me after I suggested that they might want to update their website, which had confused me by advertising an outdated price.

But the poor service that takes the cake was received on a recent trip to Alabama. We stopped for gas at a convenience store selling a national brand. Once my credit card was approved, I expected fuel to flow, but nothing happened. I went inside to ask what was going on, and another guy and I were told they were out of regular. Their solution? “Buy another grade.” Wrong answer! What they should have done was put makeshift “out of regular” signs on the pumps, and everyone would have been saved a good deal of inconvenience. But the clerks were too lazy and inattentive to check their supply and/or to think of their customers. We left and went elsewhere to fill up. That place, selling the same brand, not only had regular, but at a lower price.

Contrast these experiences with the fine attention we received on other occasions. At an ice cream shop, we ordered our scoops and took them to the register, where we presented some gift certificates. Our purchase was less than they totaled, and the clerk couldn’t give us change from them. But she wanted us to be satisfied and feel we had been treated well. So she arranged for us to get a kid’s scoop on each of our cups, bringing our total to the amount on the certificates.

I called my cable company (the same one that later treated me badly) and arranged for faster Internet speeds at a lower price. I was promised that the change would be made in 15 minutes. When a test showed that had not been done, I called back. The rep who answered stayed on the line until she got the problem solved and temporarily gave me greater upload speed than I had ordered “because we caused you inconvenience.”

Both the clerk at the ice cream shop and the customer service rep at the cable company added value to the experience. We got good ice cream, but we also felt cared for. My download speed increased five-fold, but I also knew my needs and time were important. The solutions were imaginative, and the people at the point of sale took responsibility for our satisfaction. Contrast that with the carelessness of the kitchen at the fast food restaurant which did not honor a special order or the “my way or the highway” attitude of the clerks at the out-of-gas store.

Churches can learn from these good and bad business practices as they greet visitors, whether the first-time guest in worship or the transient needing assistance. Every church member, not just officers and pastors, would do well to remember four words: “It’s up to me.” By our attitude, our commitment to care, our interest, you and I communicate volumes about our faith, our denomination, our congregation, more than than all our websites, mission statements, and brochures.

Another lesson is to add value whenever we can. Be imaginative and creative. Take that dull as dust worship service and seek to make it an experience of God. Send the visitor away with some special gift and follow up soon with an email or call. Really care for people for themselves, not as potential giving units. Listen to their questions, discern their needs, and minister accordingly. Don’t answer questions nobody is asking.

Church consultant Tom Ehrich, one of my favorite writers, says this: “If I want to convey value, I need to give value. If a church wants to develop a positive brand, it needs to do positive things (“On a Journey,” July 10, 2009). He goes on: “Faith, like the marketplace, happens in small decisions made by individuals. The sooner churches figure that out, the sooner they will emerge from their doldrums and begin to serve confidently and effectively (“On a Journey,” July 11, 2009). (For more Tom Ehrich, especially his “best practices” and “seven key factors” for churches, visit www.churchwellness.com).

So, the question is: are we out of gas or adding value?

© 2009 Tom Cheatham

 

Tail of the Unexpected

“The unexpected is always before us” (Morgan Freeman, “Feast of Love”).

The unexpected—quite often known by a much shorter, earthy word—happens. Like on July 4th when Susan and I and most everybody gathered for a holiday BBQ became instant cowpunchers.

We were all over at Susan’s brother Jeff’s house, which is out in the country. His neighbor has cows, who usually are content to stay inside the wood and barbed wire fence surrounding acres of roaming land. But last Saturday, one animal decided she had had enough of appropriate boundaries. Or maybe she simply got lost.

Whatever. Bottom line was she took advantage of a gap in the fence and ended up in Jeff’s back yard. It soon became apparent that Warren (Susan’s oldest brother) and Jeff weren’t going to be able to corral the beast by themselves, so the call came for the rest of us to come outside.

Jeff pressed us into service, assigning everyone a station. Susan and I were closest to the road, and were supposed to shoo the cow back toward the hole in the fence from whence she had come. The way that was to be done was to stand and wave our arms up and down as if we were about to take off flying.

That worked once, but then, snorting and bellowing, the cow came back our way, and she wasn’t going to back down. Fine. We let her through, and she ambled up the hill, then up the road, and through the open cattle gate leading into the neighbor’s property, following the moos of her companions.

What’s to be learned about confronting the unexpected from all this? First, when, uh, stuff happens, be ready to pitch in even if you have no idea what you’re doing. Be available to others who are frightened, overwhelmed, unsure. Don’t be a spectator; get involved and do what you can.

Second, follow the instructions of somebody who’s been in a similar situation or at least has a cool head and can figure things out quickly. We did what Jeff told us to do, stood where he wanted, etc. The unexpected calls for the commander style of leadership. (The others, by the way, are catalyst, encourager, and hermit.) Somebody who can take charge and help solve the problem. Maybe that will be you or me.

Third, when things go south, don’t be a fool. Neither Susan nor I were going to stand in the way of a determined and undeterred animal weighing hundreds of pounds and full of anxiety and adrenalin. So, it may be that when the situation, already unpredictable, becomes more unpredictable still, we simply have to go with it, improvise further, and do our best.

Following these principles may just mean that the next time the unexpected rushes your way or mine, we won’t be cowed.

© 2009 Tom Cheatham

 

 

Vigilance

“The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime, and the punishment of his guilt” (John Philpot Curran, Irish judge, July 10, 1790).

“Eternal vigilance by the people is the price of liberty” (Andrew Jackson, March 4, 1837).

“What then is the spirit of liberty? I cannot define it; I can only tell you my own faith. The spirit of liberty is the spirit which is not too sure that it is right; the spirit of liberty is the spirit which seeks to understand the minds of other men and women; the spirit of liberty is the spirit which weighs their interests alongside its own without bias” (Judge Learned Hand, May 21, 1944).

“Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Jesus, Matthew 26:41).

“Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers…” (Paul, Romans 13:11).

Vigilare (Latin, “keep awake”)

Funny how my mind works. I was out pulling weeds the other day when I thought of the famous statement usually quoted as “Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom”  (erroneously attributed to Thomas Jefferson). I suppose that at the same time I was thinking about my blog for this week, I was reflecting on how I have to keep a constant watch on the weeds or they’ll take over. And for good or ill, this post was the result of my down-in-the-dirt, on my knees meditation.

Freedom is extremely important to me. It forms a kind of trinity of essentials, along with love and truth. That’s why I’m glad I’m an American, blessed with a Bill of Rights that grants my neighbors and me freedom to worship (or not) as we please, to speak, to enjoy a press not under state control, to assemble with others peaceably, and to petition the government for redress of grievances.

Freedom is also one of the reasons I have chosen to remain a Presbyterian. One of our dearest historic principles is that “God alone is Lord of the conscience, and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in anything contrary to his Word, or beside it, in matters of faith or worship” (Book of Order, Presbyterian Church [USA], G-1.0300). Another important viewpoint from my tradition is that God is completely free and sovereign. Related to that affirmation is the recognition of the human tendency to try to usurp the place of God or to worship something or someone else in the place of God. Thus we become tyrants and seek to force others to bend to our control and our ideas (cf. Book of Order, G-2.0500a[4]).

For me, the greatest threat to our freedom comes not so much from outside enemies, but from those tendencies toward tyranny and idolatry that we have within ourselves. Because of our fear, lust for power, drive for control, ignorance, and whatever else, we want to restrict the freedom of others while maintaining the broadest possible set of rights and greatest array of choices for ourselves.

Ironically, some of the most vehement opponents of freedom are found among those who name the Name of Christ and profess love of America. Many preach and act against reproductive choice. Others (falsely) proclaim America a “Christian nation” and long for our land to be a theocracy, governed, of course, by their narrow interpretation of God’s law. Still more rail against the separation of church and state and/or try to have fundamentalist doctrine enacted into law or replace sound science in our schools. Freedom of thought, of exploration, of relying on one’s own moral judgment go out the window. Those of a different faith or none are looked on with suspicion, made to feel second-class or regarded as intellectually and morally inferior.

But don’t be smug, progressives! Just because you or I might have a kinder, more tolerant heart or a broader mind doesn’t mean we won’t be susceptible to the same tendencies toward tyranny and idolatry we see in fundamentalists and the Religious Right. We merely express them in a different way. So we need to be eternally vigilant, ever on the watch for those weeds of prejudice, hatred, and fear in our own lives that would lead us to be unfaithful to the One who said his Truth would set us free. Root them out lest they choke the good seed of the liberating Word. Freedom is too precious a gift not to be thus protected and allowed to grow and flourish in our hearts and minds and in those of our neighbors.

© 2009 Tom Cheatham

 

Hope

[A]nd the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations (Revelation 22:2).

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25a).

Not so very long ago, Susan and I transplanted a “volunteer” crepe myrtle from an ornamental bed along our side fence to a flower bed outside our bedroom window. We made sure to preserve plenty of the little tree’s roots, bury and water them, and generally treat it with care. We’ve enjoyed our other crepe myrtles, including another volunteer that is now flourishing outside our laundry room, and we wanted this one to prosper as well.

We gave the tree awhile to get acclimated to its new home, then started looking for growth on it. Nothing. Every day we checked, and still it looked like a dead stick with branches. We were about to give up when suddenly we noticed green shoots on it. Now it’s leafing out very nicely, and we believe it’s going to make it, becoming the beauty we hoped for next to our patio.

I doubt very much that it’s coincidence that right about the time we saw growth on the crepe myrtle, we received two pieces of bad news. One concerned a young (31) member of my extended family who died after a horrific fight with cancer, leaving a wife and two young sons. The other was from a dear friend of my wife’s, who reported to Susan that her cancer had returned and there was nothing more to be done.

No, it wasn’t coincidence. It was providence. God in his mercy showed us a sign of hope when we could have despaired, having heard such news of death and sickness. A tree that seemed dead was now filled with green leaves, promising beautiful blossoms in due season. And that reminded us, and reminds us still, that even when death seems to have the upper hand, God has something else in mind. The ultimate power in the universe is not death, but life; the final reality not the grave, but resurrection.

© 2009 Tom Cheatham

 

 

Legacy

“The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage” (Psalm 16:6, KJV).

Recently Robin Meade from HLN went skydiving with former President George H.W. Bush on the occasion of his 85th birthday. She also interviewed Mr. Bush, asking him about the “L” word. I was puzzled. “Liberal?” “Lesbian?” That’s what that letter usually stands for when used in such a manner. But Ms. Meade meant “legacy,” and Mr. Bush seemed to understand that. I guess I’m behind on my interview alphabet vocabulary.

In response, Mr. Bush said, as I recall, that historians would have to judge what he did well and what he did poorly. Pretty standard answer, but nonetheless true.

Indeed, for all of us, history—the outcome of our stories, however large or small they may be—must be the judge of the sort of legacy each of us leaves. When we depart this world (or end our active career, as in Mr. Bush’s case), will it be a better place for our having been in it? Did we pass along something of value to sons and daughters, friends and community, that will endure and help them in turn to make a positive contribution to their world?  

I don’t believe my wife’s late dad ever worried about a legacy, but he most certainly left a positive one. This is the first Fathers’ Day since Neal joined the Church Triumphant, and I want to honor him. As I said, Neal didn’t fret about a legacy. He simply lived his life faithfully, honorably, gratefully, peaceably, honestly, fruitfully, and lovingly, and trusted “the good Lord” for the outcome. He and Elaine wanted to raise their children to be responsible adults, and I can testify that they indeed succeeded. The values they imparted continue to stand Warren, Susan, and Jeff in good stead. Neal’s example and wisdom, I am confident, will shape, inform, and inspire generations of Smiths for years to come.

Neal lived to see the birth of his great-granddaughter Norabeth and hold her in his arms. Thanks to what he taught Norabeth’s grandfather Jeff, and Jeff passed along to his son Brett, the little girl’s dad, Norabeth will grow up saying “Yea, I have a goodly heritage.”

Thanks be to God for Neal Smith.

© 2009 Tom Cheatham