There is something I miss from my childhood.
Actually there are a lot of things I miss from my childhood.
One of the more vivid memories for me is when my family would take a Sunday off from our home congregation and go to an Old German Baptist Brethren worship service, which was where most of my mom's side of the family attended. At the time I absolutely hated being there for 3 hours or so, unless there was a breakfast before the service. My mother was raised in an OGBB family but never joined because by the time she was in her mid-teens (the age that most in the OGBB and even Church fo the Brethren are baptized and join the community) my grandparents left the OGBB for a couple of years and started attending what is now my home congregation. So my mom joined, married my dad and raised my sister and I there. Here are some things that I miss about going to the OGBB worship services:
The hard benches that demanded good posture from a kid that loved to slouch,
Turning around, facing the bench and kneeling to pray, even if it meant a chance to nap,
Singing in one unison pitch that sounded almost haunting... like chanting,
Meeting new people and finding out I am related to them,
Wondering what I would look like in plain clothing, black hat and a beard (with no mustache!)
Sitting with Grandpa on the men's side knowing I couldn't hound him like I could Grandma,
Going to Annual Meeting and having to discern who was who, since they all look alike,
The community that they formed with one another not just on Sundays but through the week.
Actually this coming weekend June 3-6, there will be upwards to 6,000 OGBB gathering near Union City, Indiana for their Annual Meeting during Pentecost. I may have to take a day off and go make a visit; being that it is only about an hour and half south of here.
- Picture comes from 1998 Article form the Roanoke Times, Roanoke, VA.
One of the more vivid memories for me is when my family would take a Sunday off from our home congregation and go to an Old German Baptist Brethren worship service, which was where most of my mom's side of the family attended. At the time I absolutely hated being there for 3 hours or so, unless there was a breakfast before the service. My mother was raised in an OGBB family but never joined because by the time she was in her mid-teens (the age that most in the OGBB and even Church fo the Brethren are baptized and join the community) my grandparents left the OGBB for a couple of years and started attending what is now my home congregation. So my mom joined, married my dad and raised my sister and I there. Here are some things that I miss about going to the OGBB worship services:
The hard benches that demanded good posture from a kid that loved to slouch,
Turning around, facing the bench and kneeling to pray, even if it meant a chance to nap,
Singing in one unison pitch that sounded almost haunting... like chanting,
Meeting new people and finding out I am related to them,
Wondering what I would look like in plain clothing, black hat and a beard (with no mustache!)
Sitting with Grandpa on the men's side knowing I couldn't hound him like I could Grandma,
Going to Annual Meeting and having to discern who was who, since they all look alike,
The community that they formed with one another not just on Sundays but through the week.
Actually this coming weekend June 3-6, there will be upwards to 6,000 OGBB gathering near Union City, Indiana for their Annual Meeting during Pentecost. I may have to take a day off and go make a visit; being that it is only about an hour and half south of here.
- Picture comes from 1998 Article form the Roanoke Times, Roanoke, VA.
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