Ordinary People, Extraordinary Faith .....

The last few Sundays at First Prez-Midland, the sermons have addressed the topic of "Ordinary People: Real Faith" with stories of very ordinary people in the Bible whose expressions of faith had extraordinary consequences for us all, 2000+ years later.

These have included the passerby Simon of Cyrene, who for a time carried Christ's cross on the road to Golgotha ..... the prostitute Rahab, who sheltered Joshua's spies and helped them escape the Jericho authorities ..... and a nameless boy who shared his lunch of loaves and fish - blessed by Jesus - with a multitude.

It's a point that is reinforced by music, as well. The closing hymn this morning was that old favorite, Amazing Grace, with words by John Newton, set to an old Scottish tune. Of all the roads that ultimately led to the pulpit, there are few that covered as many miles, or took as many unlikely turns as Newton's, Perhaps that is why his words have reverberated with undiminished power for nearly 250 years.

And perhaps there was something in his own experiences that came through in those words ..... something that appealed especially to people who suffered, or sought to ease the suffering of others. In her novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe includes an extra verse, adding it to the six Newton composed (the additional verse is part of most hymnals today). The Cherokees sang the song - translated into their own language - as they were forced to walk the Trail of Tears. And the song - often played on bagpipes - has become a fixture at the funerals of those who have served in the armed forces, or in law enforcement.