The Gospel Above All / The Plan ng and Replan ng of Churches for All People / The Sending of Missionaries to the Ends of the Earth
Come Back To Me, Mama!
Every church has them. They are the talk of the community. They are “those people” that are always seeking a handout and are declared by the benevolence committee as “regulars.” The church welcomes them because that is what we ought to do, but in our mind, we are saying, “God loves you, and I’m trying.” I bet in these last three sentences you have personally identified someone that fits the above description. They may even be in your church. Neal Hughes When I was a pastor in West Birmingham, we had many Director of Missions who migrated to the “steel city” from either the coal mines of Northwest Alabama or the mountains of Northeast Alabama. It was urban and country, all in one melting pot. My street was full of Italians, Greeks, Lebanese, as well as mountain folks whose answer for their arthritis was “corn squeezings from their basement steel.” The Chappell Family were “those people” to our church. They had been around for generations. We equated them with the “Darling Gang” from The Andy Griffith show. They even had Ernest T in the family. The Chappells meant no harm, so the congregation as a whole just tolerated the family. Most of all, we stayed upwind of them. Going over to their house meant a good lousing from lice and fleas. Often, the boys would call me at midnight with a fake emergency, only to find them “drunk as a skunk” on the porch steps when I responded. Mama Chappell was their family leader. As she grew older, her mind began to depart first. Her boys had an answer to taking care of Mama while at work- tie this elderly lady up and put her on the front porch, with some sweet tea and a straw. They worked a swing shift, so they seemed to find a way to feed her at lunch (please note that we have come a long way in elder law since 1984). Unfortunately, a cold snap brought on pneumonia. Mama eventually passed away from the complications (there is a whole other story regarding the hospital, the church, and police inquiries over her death- stay tuned). Being their pastor, I was the obvious one to be called upon to do Mama’s funeral. Walter, Wallace, Bobby, and Jimmy Chappell were her sons. Jimmy was in the federal prison for trying to rob a bank (he smiled at the camera). When I arrived at the funeral, I noticed some men that did not fit with those gathering. I asked the funeral director, who told me that Jimmy had broken out of prison, and the marshals were present to apprehend him if he came to Mama’s memorial service. What a day! The funeral ended on a sweet note. As people of mountain tradition do, they circle back by the casket at the end of the funeral and plead, “come back to me, Mama!” As I stood there with my JC Penney suit trying to be dignified, I noticed a woman all dressed up and hunched over. Not recognizing her from the community, I stared at this newcomer, only to discover it was Jimmy in disguise passing by his mother’s casket. There was a wink with a warning, and I kept my mouth shut. Fortunately, Jimmy made his way back to prison to finish his term and only got an extra year tacked on his sentence for the escape. You cannot help but love people like the Chappell family. In comparison, Love Loud Lowndes County we probably have that “sinner smell” to our Savior. We perhaps seem a bit Sweet Potato Giveaway weird to the God of the universe. We probably do not amount to anything in comparison to his riches and mercy. In truth, we all are by our very nature, objects of His wrath. Love Loud Lowndes County Director Connie Johnson says, “Thank you Lord for your blessings on Monday, June 29, 2020.” Love Loud Lowndes “BUT (don’t you just love conjunctions), because of His great love for us, County was blessed with 3,200 lbs. of sweet potatoes which were God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were distributed to Lowndes County residents with great success. dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4- 5, NIV). Next time you try to write someone off as undesirable, I hope you She, along with the Montgomery Baptist Association, extends special will remember Mama’s story and recall this verse. thanks to the sweet potato farmer and the Society of St. Andrews who made it possible through a grant awarded from the River Region United Way and So grateful for grace! Neal the Central Alabama Community Foundation. Montgomery Baptist Association • 20 Interstate Park Dr. • Montgomery, Alabama 36109 • 334-271-6227 • www.mgmbaptists.org This publication is made possible by your churches’ contributions to Associational Missions.