A Mother’s Faithful, Staunch Directive

 by Charles Killian,  Asbury Theological Seminary Professor 1970-2004

I am not sure what all the ‘energies, forces, and experiences’ were that landed me in the itinerant ministry, but I have been reflecting on few during this season in my life.

I think it all got started way back there at the Blissville Church of the Brethren, that the ‘seeds of the call’ first took root.  My earliest religious recollection took place there.  I saw the Reverend Clyde Joseph standing up behind the pulpit—austere and somewhat frightening. And I also saw the old pump through the window to the right of the pulpit, a place where you could always get a fresh cup of cold water. I was thirsty—the pump had its own allure.

Even though the Killian kids usually sat quietly in their second-row seats during worship (Mother saw to that), yet I persisted in urging my mother to let me go out and get a drink.  Finally, she took me outside…and I never did get thirsty again in church.

Mother did something else. She saw to it that church-going was NOT optional. Over the years that rather rigid discipline turned into one encounter with God after another. Like Jonah, I tried to run ahead of God, and on occasion, to run far away from Him and the church. But the love “that would not let me go”, like the Hound of Heaven, wanted me on His side. I have never gotten over that!

Oh, there is much more to the story; many chapters left untold, but for today let it suffice—a mother’s faithful, staunch directive and a church ready to take on a rebel.  For that, at least for the moment, I am eternally grateful, along with having a pretty good idea where one can find a good, fresh drink of water—one that will really quench one’s thirst.

While this chapter is coming to a close, I am ‘leaning forward’ to where the next ‘turn in the road’ will take me.  I know this, there are more chapters in this story…I will keep you posted.