The Baptist Church On SharedWay Road

I love that little Baptist Church just off of SharedWay Road.

I met my Savior, Jesus Christ, there, and His Grace bestowed
Salvation on me when I knelt down in a room of prayer.
I offered Him my most unworthy heart right then and there.
And, at that very moment, I knew I was born again,
and set free from three decades and four years of secret sin.
I knew my life was His now, and not just some 'might-have-been.'
A soft sweet peace came over me and calmed me from within.
And when I stepped outside, that night, the winter stars now glowed
with brand new light above that Baptist Church on Sharedway Road.

To worldly eyes, that little church may not have seemed like much---
a plain brick bulding, rather old, and it had felt the touch
of time and weather through the years of sunlight and of rain.
And when you stepped inside, you found the furnishings were plain.
The padding was a little faded on the several pews,
the carpet had been worn, in spots, by many Sunday shoes
(and, in the summer, by the Wednesday Night Youth Group's bare feet).
The finish on the east interior wall was not complete.
No high-brow decorator had brought things of worldly mode
into that little Baptist Church just off of SharedWay Road.

But those were superficial items that real Christians spurn.
The setting does not matter when the spiritual discern
the Gospel's truth---much like those early brethren who, in Rome's
precincts, became a congregation in the catacombs.
They worshiped from the heart without the least worldly appearance,
and did not give the devil any chance for interference.
Their fellowship was built upon enjoyment of Salvation,
and God's sweet Holy Ghost provided all their inspiration.
For, when the Bible leads us and the Scripture seeds are sowed,
they sprout into a church just like the one on SharedWay Road,

with prayer and visits. What a fellowship we all had there!,
and after Sunday evening worship, we all ate our share
of ice cream, with the fixings, as we talked and laughed a while,
until we parted---shaking hands, with hugs, in Gospel style.
And even when devil sent, that spring, a worldly goad
he could not take away the friendships sealed at SharedWay Road.

I wish I had sufficient words to speak of worship time---
it brought my spirit up to Heaven, with the most sublime
praise music I had ever heard (a flute and three guitars).
The very angels listened as they lit the distant stars.
And we had three good preachers---Brothers . . . him, and him, and him:
they preached the Bible, not some seminary student's whim.
Then at the old prayer altar, we knelt down in one accord
and felt the mighty presence of the Christ, our Risen Lord.
We had the foretaste of eternity as blessings flowed
within and through that little Baptist Church on SharedWay Road.

 

Starward

[*/+/^]

Author's Notes/Comments: 

I believe I was called to abandon my mere interest in writing Poetry to actually write Poetry, and rhymed poetry at that!, on Saturday, July 16th, 1994.  I believe now, as I did then, that this call came from God; and that it was a directive not to be ignored.  My first poem, after that incident, was this one; although the original draft is now lost, and this is the most complete reconstruction of it that I can recompose.

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redbrick's picture

Airway is such an excellent

Airway is such an excellent name! If one suppresses the biological scientific connotations, it is quite freeing and open and fresh. That says a lot for that moment that forgiveness and freedom and salvation are found. So many of the names that are connected to your life travels are so interesting, inspiring, and meaningful. 


here is poetry that doesn't always conform

galateus, arkayye, arqios,arquious, crypticbard, excalibard, wordweaver

S74RW4RD's picture

Thank you so much.  In that

Thank you so much.  In that church on Airway Road (a real road), I came to salvation on January 9th, 1994.  And from that date until about August of 1996, we were given an experience that had to be a metaphysical sampling of the churches described in the New Testament.  Then, like the believers after the martyrdom of Saint Stephen, all of us were scattered; and now some of us have been called from this life.  I believe that a wolf in sheep's clothing came among us, just as the Gospel warned, and tore it all down (spiritually).

  But there shall be a reunion in a rapture.  The deacon who baptized me had a reply when anyone said something like, "See you later."  He often said, to that, "Here, there, or in the air."  Our ultimate reunion will take place . . . there, or in the air.


Starward

yellowspecks's picture

Sounds like a real nice place to be. You describe it nicely. Great work. Rae

S74RW4RD's picture

Rae, you are in Heaven now,

Rae, you are in Heaven now, so I cannot thank you again for this comment, at least while I am still on earth.  I also believe I had thanked you during our long corresponence by private email.  But I want to acknowledge, here on postpoems, my appreciation for this comment; and how much I enjoyed, and now truly miss, the many email conversations we had.  I look forward to resuming them in Heaven.


Starward