As I’ve gone through the Horace and Dott Coffman collection at work a large amount of time has been spent dealing with weddings and funerals. As I mentioned in my last blog post Horace either officiated or provided music for over 1600 weddings and 2200 funerals. Now, many people might think that the funerals, along with the accompanying obituaries, would be very depressing to read through. After all, what could be more depressing than realizing how many people, in just the Church of Christ in Lubbock, have died. The weddings, some might assume, would be very inspirational for this is a time of joy and happiness for those who are participating. I’ll admit this was my first reaction, especially as I sorted through hundreds of funerals.
As I continued in my work an interesting change has occurred in my feelings towards these two different events. No longer did I view the weddings as a release from the dour work of filing obituaries. No longer did I dread the next folder with the title “Funerals Performed in 19--.” Instead it was the weddings that inspired a strange melancholy.
My thinking, as my worked progressed, turned from thinking of the weddings a joyous union of two people into the perpetual question “Did John Smith and Jane Doe make it?” I know it’s extremely pessimistic of me but for some reason I couldn’t help but feel that every marriage I came across had ended in some sort of disaster. The funerals inspired a sense of hope. Within the pages of funeral programs, obituaries, and Horace’s notes were inspirational stories about lifelong Christians. Here were men and women who had remained faithful to God and served the church for decades. Here were men and women who had been married for 50, 60, and even 70 years. Here were inspirational stories about love, perseverance, faithfulness, joy in the face of suffering and thanksgiving at the passing of loved ones.
This was an interesting paradox, at least for me, because I knew that the wedding was a joyous occasion and despite my pessimistic misanthropy some, maybe even a majority, of these marriages had survived, prospered and even continue to thrive to this day. My general attitude toward the weddings changed yesterday when I made a pretty incredible discovery.
As I was going through another folder of wedding programs and notes I came across one that stopped me in my tracks. I had found the program for the marriage of a Ms. Diane Clutter and a Larry Stephens. Here was a wedding that I had first hand knowledge of! That I had grown up knowing and that has been a model of love, faithfulness, and charity every day of my life. I didn’t wonder if Diane Clutter and Larry Stephens had made it I KNEW. Despite the divorce rate, the broken homes we see around us, the single moms, abortions, and inconsiderate and insensitive people on both sides God has always and still raises up among us men and women to serve him and to be examples to younger generations. I’m so proud to say that two of these people are my parents.
It is my prayer that I too might be one of these people some day. That I might live as an example to others and that some day I might enter the Kingdom and hear the words “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
The CRS
I haven’t done an in depth post on what I actually do to fill up my time here in Abilene during the day so I felt that this would be an appropriate topic. As I’m sure all of you know I work in the ACU Library in the Center for Restoration Studies. Although I guess the description of what I do, preparing collections of personal materials for research and display, might sound somewhat impressive the actuality of it is quite a bit more humble. Quite simply I categorize things, when no inherent order is found, and box them.
Right now I am working on the Horace Coffman Collection. For those of you that don’t know Horace Coffman was the longest serving minister in a single Church of Christ. His ministry at the Broadway Church of Christ lasted 53 years and the number of lives he touched is simply uncountable. While there he officiated over 1600 weddings and over 2000 funerals. His records, personal files and personal papers that were donated to the ACU Library are, in a word, extensive. The collection, when I began working on it, was about 60-70% complete and yet the shear amount of material that still has to be gone through is enormous.
Looking through this material has been a window into the past for me and in many ways it has shown me where the church as well as American culture has come from. Reading an article to a graduating class, out of a newspaper not by Horace Coffman, from the 1960’s reads like something out of an Ayn Rand novel. In my perception that church has come a long way, at least in some of the literature put out, over the past several decades. Not only do I believe the church is more grace filled and tolerant but I think that it is also more accessible to the layman and the outsider as well.
Despite these positive changes, at least in my mind, there have also been moments of sadness for me. As I’ve read through this literature I believe the church has also lost some great aspects of itself. Probably the biggest one is simply the strength of our A Cappella music. Although in many ways I believe that the church has moved forward in some regards on this topic, not viewing it as a salvation issue, I am sad to say that a negative aspect of this has been a lack of interest in A Cappella music in general outside of worship. Horace Coffman directed many of the Broadway Church choirs in weekly performances at retirement homes and at countless numbers of weddings and funerals. Singing classes, choir practices and other ways in which musical gifts could be utilized were under his direction and I think that that is slowly dieing in the Church of Christ.
Although there are moments of both thanksgiving and sadness as I read this material I must say that the experience is very enjoyable. Despite the fact that in many aspects it is tedious, time consuming and sometimes progress doesn’t seem to be made I have really enjoyed my time so far in the CRS. Although my current work does not take me into the stacks of rare books ACU has centuries old Bibles, the first Spanish protestant Bible, collectible literature and much more. The stacks in the back of the CRS are what I always thought a library SHOULD look like. I am reminded more of the library we see Gandalf searching for information in the first LoTR movie than the ultra modern, sleek and fancy Starbucks and Learning Commons that is only one hundred feet away in another room. The stacks seem to ‘leak’ knowledge and if you are willing to work hard, research and spend time with the material I believe you will be richly rewarded. I look forward to spending many more hours back there learning while I work.
Next Week - The 10 most ridiculous lines I've heard in Country songs
Right now I am working on the Horace Coffman Collection. For those of you that don’t know Horace Coffman was the longest serving minister in a single Church of Christ. His ministry at the Broadway Church of Christ lasted 53 years and the number of lives he touched is simply uncountable. While there he officiated over 1600 weddings and over 2000 funerals. His records, personal files and personal papers that were donated to the ACU Library are, in a word, extensive. The collection, when I began working on it, was about 60-70% complete and yet the shear amount of material that still has to be gone through is enormous.
Looking through this material has been a window into the past for me and in many ways it has shown me where the church as well as American culture has come from. Reading an article to a graduating class, out of a newspaper not by Horace Coffman, from the 1960’s reads like something out of an Ayn Rand novel. In my perception that church has come a long way, at least in some of the literature put out, over the past several decades. Not only do I believe the church is more grace filled and tolerant but I think that it is also more accessible to the layman and the outsider as well.
Despite these positive changes, at least in my mind, there have also been moments of sadness for me. As I’ve read through this literature I believe the church has also lost some great aspects of itself. Probably the biggest one is simply the strength of our A Cappella music. Although in many ways I believe that the church has moved forward in some regards on this topic, not viewing it as a salvation issue, I am sad to say that a negative aspect of this has been a lack of interest in A Cappella music in general outside of worship. Horace Coffman directed many of the Broadway Church choirs in weekly performances at retirement homes and at countless numbers of weddings and funerals. Singing classes, choir practices and other ways in which musical gifts could be utilized were under his direction and I think that that is slowly dieing in the Church of Christ.
Although there are moments of both thanksgiving and sadness as I read this material I must say that the experience is very enjoyable. Despite the fact that in many aspects it is tedious, time consuming and sometimes progress doesn’t seem to be made I have really enjoyed my time so far in the CRS. Although my current work does not take me into the stacks of rare books ACU has centuries old Bibles, the first Spanish protestant Bible, collectible literature and much more. The stacks in the back of the CRS are what I always thought a library SHOULD look like. I am reminded more of the library we see Gandalf searching for information in the first LoTR movie than the ultra modern, sleek and fancy Starbucks and Learning Commons that is only one hundred feet away in another room. The stacks seem to ‘leak’ knowledge and if you are willing to work hard, research and spend time with the material I believe you will be richly rewarded. I look forward to spending many more hours back there learning while I work.
Next Week - The 10 most ridiculous lines I've heard in Country songs
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