Each Sunday we venture to visit a different church in the neighboring towns. Today we opted for Round Hill Baptist Church. It was walking distance from where we're staying and their website was clean and recently updated, so we thought it would be a good chance to visit. Sunday school was at 10 and Worship at 11. The kids had their own Bible study while we went with the adults. Class lasted about 20 minutes and there wasn't much discussion about the Hebrews 1:1-4 passages we read. During the worship hour we sang three traditional hymns of which only Nothing But the Blood did I recognize. One of the younger guys sang a solo of a toe-tappin country song entitled Long Black Train which everyone enjoyed. The sermon was given by visiting Rev Charles who filled in for regular pastor who was away at an uncle's funeral. Rev Charles gave us a primer on the history of Union Mills and that it used to be called Crab Tree Gap. This area spawned the lumber industry and thus Union Mills came to be. This particular church grew out of the call to "Survey the people" to fill a need, then "be ready to plant". That's not too different from what we're trying to do in Japan. Rev Charles expounded on the meaning of two important words in Scripture - AMEN and HALLELUJAH. He also drew the connection to how our worship should mirror the book of Revelation. Rev Charles served in the military and flew over Hiroshima following the tragedies that ended World War II. He agrees that Japan has a harvest ripe for evangelism through missions. I reckon no visit to a Baptist church would be complete without a Sunday afternoon luncheon and my favorite sweet tea. The LORD is good!
