L:isten to his story

1. The Bible indicates it’s what we should do. (Hebrews 10:25)

2. You will have the opportunity to worship God.

3. You will likely have some of life big questions answered.

4. The preaching of the Bible will help set direction for your life.

5. You will probably make some new friends.

6. You’ll probably see some old friends.

7. Being there is a sign of your discipleship.

8. Being there will encourage your pastors and leaders.

9. You’ll be encouraged in your walk with God.

10. You’ll likely encourage other people in their walk with God.

11. If you’re single, you may meet someone.

12. It will help you define what you believe.

13. It will help you understand the Bible.

14. If you have kids, it will teach them to value God and His Church.

15. People who attend church usually live longer (I didn’t make this one up… google it!)

16. It will give you an outlet for service and ministry.

17. It can help you develop personal leadership.

18. You’ll sing inspirational songs that will carry you during the week.

19. It will encourage you that God is good (if it doesn’t, it should).

20. It will help you to look outside yourself.

21. It will provide an opportunity to give financially to those in need.

22. You’ll receive love from other people.

23. You’ll be able to show love toward others.

24. You’ll hear about the great things God is doing in His Church locally and throughout the earth.

25. You’ll be prayed for.

26. You will be able to pray for others.

27. You’re likely to hear and be encouraged by answered prayers.

28. You will be able to give praise reports and share stories of God working in your life.

29. You will be able to worship God with other likeminded people.

30. It’s an opportunity to introduce a friend who doesn’t know Christ.

31. You’ve probably got nothing better to do. (Watching TV, or sleeping-in don’t count as better!)

32. Your family need you to go.

33. It honours God.

34. Because gathering is part of what it means to be a Christian.

35. Because it’s good to have your views and opinions challenged.

36. Because we all need regular reminders of our position in Christ.

37. It will help you acknowledge and confess your sins.

38. It helps you to be in the world, but not of it.

39. It will help you end one week, and starts the next, with the right focus.

40. It’s a break from work.

41. It will help you re-order your priorities.

42. It’s where your real friends are.

43. It will help you put your life story, into the grand narrative of scripture.

44. It will remind you that you have nothing to fear.

45. It helps take your focus off yourself and onto God.

46. It helps bring perspective and feeds the soul.

47. Because gathering strengthens your faith.

48. The discipline of going will help you be disciplined across all areas of life.

49. It will allow for support in times of need.

50. It promotes stability in your life.

51. It helps to promote a happy marriage.

52. It gives you something great to do with your kids.

53. It will help you to improve your self-esteem.

54. It will help your interpersonal skills.

55. It will help increase your ability to cope with the trials of life.

56. It will help you to be a happy person.

57. It will positively influence future generations.

58. It will provide you with an opportunity to share in communion.

59. It will allow you to take an active role in missions work.

60. It will help you be a better member of your local community.

61. It will help develop your children’s self-confidence.

62. Your children will learn the Bible.

63. It may keep you out of trouble.

64. It will help give you a sense of purpose.

65. It will shape your vision of the future.

66. It will give you eternal hope.

67. It will help you to know what you believe.

68. It will help you to know what you stand for.

69. It will encourage creativity.

70. It will allow you to be disciplined, mentored and pastored.

71. Because you’ll learn about Jesus and have the opportunity to get to know Him.

72. Because you want to go.

73. It’s a pleasant experience.

74. It will give you the opportunity to express yourself in song.

75. It beats staying at home and being alone.

76. You get to put your Sunday best on… (or your skinny jeans depending on the church).

77. You’ll find acceptance.

78. You’ll be loved.

79. You can love others there.

80. Real forgiveness is found there.

81. The gathering of God’s people will help draw you closer to God.

82. You’ll meet likeminded people.

83. Jesus will be there.

84. It will remind you that you’re not alone.

85. It will help the process of sanctification.

86. You’re likely to learn something about God, the Bible, yourself, or others.

87. Growth of the fruit of the Spirit will likely happen.

88. It will bring with it tangible and intangible blessing.

90. It’s a declaration that you’re a Christian.

91. It will give you something interesting to talk about on Monday at work.

92. Because being planted will help your life to flourish.

93. It reflects a life lived beyond yourself.

94. It will bring joy to your life.

95. A miracle you need may come to pass.

96. You’ve been promising someone that you’d go and it’s time to make good on your word.

97. Because it’s the right thing to do.

98. Because faith without works is dead.

99. It will literally change your life for eternity!

Brush arbor meetings were religious affairs
Old-time revivals were big events in rural south after "laying by and gathering" timesBy Jack M. Willis
Journal Correspondent

It sounds like a feature from the old familiar Grit newspaper peddled around the neighborhood in years past, but I'm frequently asked about old time revival meetings usually held between "laying by and gathering" time for crops.

One event, usually on a much smaller scale often held in sparsely populated areas, were the Brush Arbor revivals that mostly took place around the turn of the late 19th century.

No, brush arbors were not constructed to support grape vines, running berry bushes or flowers, but were first constructed for crude shelter from the weather. They were usually first built when settlements were being formed into viable communities as temporary residences, and later converted to outdoor churches when a need for spiritual enlightenment was deemed necessary by the village elders.

Contrary to popular belief, brush arbors were usually the first crude means of shelter to be thrown up in the wilderness areas of North Central Louisiana to ward off the elements until land could be cleared, trees felled and sawn into lumber, and dwellings could be constructed before winter set in.

The site selected for the brush arbor was usually in a centralized grove of young saplings with as many trees in a straight line as possible to minimize having to dig additional post holes. The arbor was usually laid out so as to be about 20 feet wide and 25 feet long with a slight pitch to the roof. The saplings selected as posts to hold up the roof were cut off about 10 feet high and matching forked limbs were left in place to support cross timbers, to hold up the roof. It would usually take about 16 saplings or poles to provide the necessary roof support, along with about five cross bars.

Most natural roofing materials used were different native varieties of bay or magnolia trees, which included eight different species, including one called a cow cumber magnolia. If the brush arbor was to be later used as a place of worship, the entire floor was hoed totally clean of all vegetation whatsoever, and rigorously swept prior to every service with a dogwood brush broom.

The pulpit was usually a round slick hickory post set in the ground near the front of the arbor and standing about four feet high. A section of a split log was nailed to the top of the post with the surface for the preacher to pound his fist to make his points against sin. Benches for the congregation were made by splitting oak logs, shaping the seat with a broad axe, then smoothing the seating surface with a sandstone rubbing rock. All that labor still didn't make them any more comfortably.

Notches were cut along the front edge of the pews to mark off the seat widths, and the pews were placed only on one side of the church. The women usually sat in a cowhided bottomed chair in the wagon on their way to the service, and then they arrived the chairs would be removed, and placed on the bare side of the arbor for them to sit in during the service.

Sunday school groups divided into groups and held classes under shade trees which usually brought on a good supply of tick and redbug invasions to the participants, and caused an excessive amount of scratching during the main service. Following the Sunday school lesson, the congregation usually reassembled under the brush arbor for the regular service, which usually lasted about an hour because every one's guts would go to sounding off, including the preacher.

For the evening service, the sole interior illumination was a pump-type coal oil lantern usually for the preacher's benefit. When the wick on the lantern began to dim and flicker the reverend knew it was time to end the service.

Some of the mischievous boys in the congregation would volunteer to pump up the lantern prior to the service, and they would purposely not pump the lantern up so much, so as to cut down on the preaching time.

With the service ending, the congregation then began lighting up their litered-pine torches for the trip home.