Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness around the world.

Nov 26, 2006

Today’s announcements

^{Remember that all stories and poems were lost because of the computer crash, if you sent me anything in late August, September or October and you haven’t seen it published please send it back again.  Thank you.}

See below for Storytime Angels

Now onto the good stuff!

Today’s Queue Stories

~**~**~

 Brush Arbor Meetings

(Part 2)

By Pamela Perry Blaine

When folks came to the brush arbor meetings, a lot of hymn singing and fellowship took place.   Since many came from a distance in wagons and buggies, there wasn’t time to go home and prepare a meal so tablecloths or sheets were spread on the ground and meals were brought and shared together.   This is probably how the term “all day singin’ and dinner on the ground” got started. 

In the evenings a visiting minister would speak to a crowd that was often so large that it spilled out from under the brush arbor.  Some of those meetings went on well into the night and children would fall asleep on pallets made for them on the ground.  Sometimes the crowd would grow larger with each evening as folks heard about the meetings.  If the crowd grew, they had a simple building program, they would simply add two or three more arbors to make more room.

Almost everyone in the community would attend the meetings no matter what their denomination.  People did only their necessary chores and made the meetings a priority and sometimes they lasted for weeks. 

Some of those who remember those old brush arbor meetings say that those meetings were probably why the jails were smaller in those days than they are now.  At least there was opportunity in these open meetings for everyone to consider the condition of their souls.

Some folks wrestled with turning their lives over to God.  It was at those old rustic altars that many people came to pray and walked away brand new, their lives forever changed by receiving Christ as their Savior.  They went away knowing forgiveness and peace with God.

In 1834, an eighteen-year-old girl named Elizabeth Cummings kept a diary.  She probably lived in the Ozarks and part of her diary included attendance at a brush arbor meeting.  People at that time often wrote words the way that they sounded to them.  This is an excerpt of her diary.  The spelling is as it was in the diary:

Brush Arbor Diary

July 12 - My life aint to intresting I dont think but I guess Poppa does. He left day afore yesterday and took the wagon into town to get suplize. Poppa told me hed bring me a suprize when he come back but I didnt no what he ment.

It was round dinner time when he come riding up all excited. Momma was fixing dinner and I was doing my best to hep her and keep the younguns away from the kitchen. Momma told Bobby whose 9 and Sarah whose 5 to go outside and play and to stay out of the barn where brother Jake was a milking and feeding. 

We herd all kinds of comotion and looked out. There come Poppa up the yard karying Sarah with Bobby taging long behind. He was smiling as big as a possum when he seen us. Corse he knew somebody was missing so he sent Bobby down to the barn to fetch Jake.

Jake come a running up.  Jakes only 16 but Poppa says he looks like a man. Hes big and strong like Poppa but hes also stubborn and hot headed which gets him in trouble lots.

Poppa told Jake to hep unload the wagon. They brot in all the suplize but Poppa brot in something under his arm. He give it to me afore dinner. This diary is for your birthday, he said. Your geting to be a lady and I think you be needing something to write in when we go to the meeting up north middle of the week.

He smiled at me and winked and I think hes got something on his mind. Hes bin wanting me to git married off but there aint no one round here to marry. He always winks when hes got something up his sleeve.

I didnt know zakly what a brush arbor meeting was until Poppa said that it was like Sunday meeting like we had when we lived back east. The only difrence he said was that the meeting was helt outside for 2 weeks.

July 14 nite - We left home early this morning. We rode all day and the trail was ruff and dusty. Im tared alredy but we should be there day after tomorry.

July 16 nite - We arrived not long before the sun went down. I never saw so many people together since we left Tennessee. Folks was all round, some still in there wagons like we decided to do but some put up tents. We found us a dandy spot next to the crik and Momma and Sarah and me got some stuff together for a fare for dinner while Poppa and Jake took keer of the horses.  .

July 17  - After breakfast Poppa and Jake heped build the arbor. I watched a while then kept an eye on the younguns whilst they waded in the crik.

The preacher come in bout noon. Hes a young Babtist circut rider name of Brother Daniel Truelove. After he heped with the arbor he come round and Momma and Poppa talked him to staying and eating with us. After supper Poppa and him sat round and talked. Hes young and nice and he likes to visit. He told Poppa hed only been spreading the gospel for 2 year. He ust to be a real ruff fell before he seen the light. Then after he did he herd the Lord a calling to him so he had to go out and preach.

July 18 noon - We had our first meeting in the arbor this morning. Brother Truelove didnt seem nervous none.

The meeting lasted most all morning and even tho I was gitting tared seting there, I didnt say nothing cause Poppa shore wouldnt have liked none of us younguns being rowdy.

July 28 - We went to the meeting this evening and I got real excited. Brother Daniel walked around the arbor afore we started and he was so kind and friendly to everone. He was shaking hands and smiling up a storm. He come over and shook hands with Poppa and gave a nod and smile to Momma. When he come to me I thought I saw a twinkle in his eye as he said howdy do, Miss Beth. Nice to see you here. There was lots of singeing afore he started with his message. There was songs like Shall We Gather At The River and Momma's favorite Amazing Grace. Everbody was happy.

Then we had some praying and Brother Daniel come up front. Everbody set still and wasnt no word spoke at all. His face had no expresion except that it was strong and gentle. After standing there a while absorbing the silence of us he began to speek. As he kept preaching I could tell he ment and believed ever word. I still remember most of what he said:

“Brothers and sisters I stand afore you to tell whats in store for you. Sinner your days are numbered. I can say for some of you that the Lord has bin tolerant with your wicked sinnings for long enuff.  Hes going to come for you some day. Right now he might be coming. Will you be redy?  Repent brother. Repent. Come up to the front and ask forgiveness.  God will write your name in His eternal book.  The Lambs Book Of Life will hold your spirtual birth sertificate with your new name so you will be assured a place in Heaven.  Repent.  You will be a new creature when Jesus touches your heart.  The dog’ll even no you bin saved.  Repent and Heaven will rejoce.”

July 31 nite - Today was the last day of the meeting. Brother Daniel give his last sermon this morning and in the middle of the evening he had babtizing in the crik. Jake was one of the first ones. They stood out in the middle where it was about wast deep. Brother Daniel dunked Jake in the water then brot him right back up. The light in Jakes eyes was something to see.

I think Jake is realy serious about this cause we had a long talk last night. Hes changed in the last few days and I think its good the way him and Brother Daniel have been talking together.

Everbody was clearing out not long ago when we left. Jake was a real help to Poppa gitting packed. He didnt ask no questions and he wasnt stubborn like he used to be.

I got to where I realy liked Brother Daniel. Hes kind and honest and real rightous. I thot it would be the last time I saw him today but he came over smiling as usual and kind of made me happy by what he said. I herd your Poppa say you was starting back home today and I said well seems to me that Im a heading that same way. Your Poppa then said, well come and ride with us. So I said, shore would love to and now I guess Ill be riding a spell with you.

He winked at me like Poppa does when hes got something up his sleeve. Now I think that Daniel has something up his sleeve to.

 (Used by permission, Bittersweet Inc.)

From Elizabeth’s diary, we can see much of what it was like to attend a brush arbor meeting.  The diary continues on after the brush arbor meeting and later records the marriage of Elizabeth to Rev. Daniel Truelove.

We don’t see many brush arbors anymore.  Today there are many ornate churches and places of worship with every comfort from air conditioning and padded pews to sound systems and orchestras.  Perhaps it would do us all some good to revisit, at least within our hearts, a brushy cathedral of green boughs once more and kneel before our God in an old brush arbor.

By

Pamela Perry Blaine

© September 30, 2006

About Pamela:  My husband and I live in Missouri.  I enjoy writing, music, and country living.  I write "Pam's Corner" for the local newspaper and many stories have been published on the internet as well as in several books.
I have loved music and writing ever since I can remember. I play piano at church and I'm an avid reader. One of my goals is to be able to write for my children and grandchildren so special memories will not be forgotten.  We have a CD entitled "I'll Walk You Home".  If you would like one, they are available by freewill donation.  More information as well as a clip from the CD is on the website at:http://www.blaines.us/PamyPlace.htm
  
My Website:
http://www.blaines.us/PamyPlace.htm
e-mail: pamyblaine@blaines.us
 

"NO ONE IS USELESS IN THIS WORLD
 WHO LIGHTENS THE BURDEN OF ANYONE ELSE"

http://www.greatcom.org/laws/englishkgp/default.htm

~**~**~

Poetry Corner

~**~**~

Two Birds

Mary Dees

Honestly, tenderness,

Lacked in my mothers life.

And as a child our prayers for her,

Led us way into the night.

Watching over her 3 children,

She was our comforting shade.

Although we would morn for her,

When we knew she was afraid.

How could this be possible?

Why were we the only ones to see?

The ancient preservative fountain,

Where love ran faithful and free.

How could she have taken a seat,

In the back row of our lives?

And how could we just let her be,

Undiscovered and compromised?

Why couldn't someone..anyone,

Just get a glimpse inside her soul?

And why in the world was it so hard to love,

A woman who made her kids whole?

Her principals didn't match anyone else,

Myself, I've never seen another mother prevail.

But God it is so nice to see,

A noble wind beneath her sail.

She wasn't even waiting,

That chapter had no more means to start.

Then out of the blue...there was you,

Who glued wings on her whithered heart.

Hope in her eyes was lassoed,

Her unmentioned dream has now a chance.

Maybe the time in her life has finally come,

For someone to teach her to dance.

Please help her feel the music Danny,

Please , just care for her like a dove.

Two birds born with wings that were clipped....I believe,

Still deserve a chance to be in love.

By Mary M. Dee

marlena7694@yahoo.com

~**~**~

 ~Answers~

 Mary Dees

What I've got left is hard to see,

Be discrete and don't wake up me.

Fall

     to

          the

                 side.

Be careful with your frivolous taunt,

Don't ask for what you don't really want.

Name

tears           

I've                   

 cried.                            

Show fear now or sympathy,

Don't act like you know what it means to me.

Look,

       you

             fell

                      again.

Your warped with means to simplify,

A fault that could not be gratified.

You

wear        

my               

sin.                    

Do not rummage for answers here,

There is no secret to what I fear.

      Don't

               ask

                     this

                              way,

          Do not resent when you have no control,

I'm not the essence of your soul.

But

don't        

go              

  away.                      

  Live within your own breath,

Speak what you know to be true.

The answers in me,

 Can't be right for you.

By Mary M. Dees

marlena7694@yahoo.com 

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