| Grandpa Jerry Williams was a great
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| | the White Oak ME Church hove into view.
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| admirer of Saint Paul and would not have
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| | The salesman gave an exclamation of
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| invoked the name of the revered apostle
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| | relief. He knew there would be a
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| deliberately to frighten the wits out of
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| | horse-shed for his car, and the church
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| a St. Louis drummer. Besides, Grandpa had
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| | door would be open. Hurriedly he dashed
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| to replace the church-yard gate and
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| | through the rain and dark to open the
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| repair the steeple.In those days of
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| | church-yard gate, park his car and take
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| southeast Missouri, folks took their
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| | refuge in the church.The salesman lit
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| religion more seriously than some of us
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| | matches to find a pew in the back of the
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| today. Grandpa Jerry, for instance,
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| | sanctuary and scrunched down to check his
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| always felt he remained a poor
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| | eyelids for light leaks until the rain
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| carpenter-farmer because he had not
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| | let up.But, repose was not to be. From
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| heeded a "call" by the Lord to be a
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| | the darkness and beating rain, a
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| preacher.Grandpa was a pious man,
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| | sonorous voice began to intone: "And
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| nevertheless, and tried to understand and
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| | I persecuted this way unto death,
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| obey the Lord in all other respects.
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| | binding and delivering into prisons
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| Thus, he was a pillar of the Methodist
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| | both men and women. And it came to
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| Episcopal church -- passing the
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| | pass that as I made my journey, and
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| collection plate on Sundays and preaching
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| | was come nigh unto Damascus about
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| the sermon when the regular pastor was on
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| | noon, suddenly there shone from Heaven
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| vacation or attending a bishops'
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| | a great light round about me. "And
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| conference.Saint Paul was Grandpa's
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| | I fell unto the ground, and heard a
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| favorite biblical hero -- perhaps because
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| | voice saying unto me, Paul, why
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| both had been called by Christ and
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| | persecutest thou me?"By now the drummer's
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| resisted. In any event, Grandpa read and
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| | hair was prickly at the back of his neck.
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| re-read Paul's many letters that comprise
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| | The graves he had casually noted as he
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| a quarter of the New Testament. He was a
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| | parked his car now loomed large in his
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| recognized authority on Paul and often
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| | imagination.It was, of course, Grandpa
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| quoted the saint on perplexing or
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| | Jerry warming up to this favorite topic
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| momentous occasions.It was Grandpa's
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| | -- thinking he was alone in the darkened
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| custom, when substituting in the pulpit,
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| | church. Or, maybe he was aware of the
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| to propose a weighty spiritual problem,
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| | visitor and was laying on an effect. "And
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| then ask the rhetorical question:"What
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| | what did Paul say?" roared Grandpa just
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| did Paul say?"What Paul said on the
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| | as a bolt of lightning hit he church
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| subject usually took a solid hour, or a
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| | steeple with an horrendous crash.In the
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| bit more, to relate. Grandpa didn't get
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| | awful, split-second flash round about,
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| many opportunities to atone for his
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| | followed instantly by an ear-splitting
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| youthful disobedience to God's call, so
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| | crash of thunder, the salesman saw a
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| he made the most of every one.Despite
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| | giant in the pulpit, his eyes burning
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| Grandpa Jerry's scriptural verbosity, he
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| | coals and a white halo gleaming about his
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| was an imposing figure in the pulpit. He
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| | head.With a screech, the salesman leaped
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| was a large man, tall, with a wild crop
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| | over the pew and gained the door with
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| of bushy white hair. When he got wound up
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| | one mighty lunge. By some divine miracle,
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| about Paul, he commanded attention. He
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| | the Model T engine coughed into life at
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| voice boomed, and he emphasized his words
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| | the first spin of the crank. The salesman
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| with thumps on the pulpit.Folks allowed
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| | departed the premises with noteworthy
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| as how the regular-ordained pastors were
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| | alacrity.Unfortunately, he did not pause
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| easier to take, week-end-week-out. Still,
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| | long enough to unlatch the church-yard
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| a good dose of Saint Paul now and then
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| | gate. It was a good gate with may years
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| purged the soul.The spiritual home for
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| | of useful service remaining. Under the
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| that little country congregation was
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| | circumstances, however, it seemed more
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| about five miles from town. As was the
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| | appropriate to take the gate along on
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| custom, it was left unlocked so passersby
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| | the front hood of the car than to tarry
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| could enter for mediation or
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| | longer in the vicinity.Thus it was that a
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| shelter.Grandpa Jerry's farm was nearby,
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| | badly frightened salesman, with a church
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| and he often went there in the evening,
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| | gate for company, pulled up to the
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| after chores, to look after the church.
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| | Campbell Tavern. "There's a mad-man back
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| After mending a window pane, or mowing
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| | there in a church!" he stammered.A table
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| the grass in the graveyard out front, he
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| | of men didn't bother to look up from
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| would commune with God in the empty
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| | their game of five-card stud."Was he
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| sanctuary.It was on such an occasion
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| | talking about Paul?" some one asked."Yes,
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| during Lent that Grandpa Jerry and the
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| | yes! That's him.""Oh, that's only Deacon
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| St. Louis salesman encountered each other
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| | Williams. You should have hung around a
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| briefly. Grandpa went to the church that
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| | little longer. He would have taken up a
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| evening to sweep the floor and make sure
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| | collection."They kidded Grandpa a lot
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| the hymnals were evenly distributed for
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| | after that, scaring strangers and all;
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| Easter Sunday. This done, he lingered to
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| | but he wasn't amused at being thought
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| think and pray.Darkness came on with a
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| | non compos mentis."Probably the first
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| raging thunder storm. Grandpa's mood, the
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| | time that jasper has been to church in 20
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| Holy season, and the natural elements
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| | years," groused Grandpa. "Too bad the
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| inspired him to preach. He strode to the
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| | Lord's aim was a little off with that
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| pulpit. Amidst the flashing lightning and
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| | bolt of lightning."Lindsey Williams is a
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| rumbling thunder, he let his heart pour
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| | Sun columnist who can be contacted
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| forth.The salesman, in his Model-T Ford
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| | at:Website: with several hundred of
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| touring car, was caught in the area by
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| | Lin's Editorial & At Large articles
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| that sudden storm. The rain beat in
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| | written over 40 years.Also featured in
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| through the open sides. He careened down
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| | its entirety is Lin's groundbreaking book
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| the road at a dizzying 40 miles-per-hour
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| | "Boldly Onward," that critically analyzes
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| --- looking for a barn or some other
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| | and develops theories about the original
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| place for him and his vehicle.At last,
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| | Spanish explorers of America.
|
