Stuff About Things
Five articles concerning Preaching in Australia have appeared in TRUTH Magazine; and a lengthy article on this subject has or will soon be published in the GOSPEL GUARDIAN. In checking my manuscripts against field notes I have become aware that too little attention has been given the work of bro. Harold Comer. He was in Australia with bros. Binkley, Harkrider, and Everett;. and there is ample evidence of his effectiveness in Queensland, New South Wales, and in Victoria. The unintentional omission brought no complaint from him, but it focused my attention on the unsung heroes of every life situation.
The preface of a book often expresses the authors appreciation to an illustrious few, and then to the many others who made this work possible. Knowing my own dependence upon this less honored class, I often wonder how many of these unnamed ones may actually be the sinews of power and knowledge behind the product.
The story is told of a preacher who floundered through a sermon, much to his embarrassment as well as that of the congregation. And what most concerned the preacher was his inability to assign a reason for this failure. He had been well prepared, the subject relevant, the listeners attentive. But something was missing. That night he again stumbled through a portion of his sermon, then stopped short as he recognized the problem.
Where is that little old lady who always wears the old fashioned hat, and sits on the second pew at the left? he asked.
Sister Carnac? someone replied. She has moved from this community.
I did not even know her name the preacher explained; but her absence has affected my preaching. You see, I could tell that she really believed in me.
How many little known, seldom recognized factors enter our everyday life to shape and mold us? How dependent are we upon a horse-shoe nail or a tiny wire in a traffic signal? But far more vital to us, as social creatures, are the seemingly insignificant gestures of friendliness, or antagonism; of doubt, or trust; of appreciation, or indifference; that affect characters about us. Sung or unsung, each of us leave our mark on the world through which we pass.