I remember way back to when I was eight years old. 1967 was the year. The Green Bay Packers won the very first Super Bowl. A new league called the American Basketball Association is formed. Montreal opens the Expo 67. A Ford Mustang is priced at $2,299.60.
And we moved from Dallastown, PA to Hershey PA to experience some very happy years as a family...(well, before the divorce stuff happened.)
One of my favorite memories? A small church located jsut outside of Hershey, called Independent Bible Church of Sand Beach (http://www.sandbeachchurch.org/). I am not sure where the beach was, only a small pseudo-river drifted past about a block away from this little burg, but the church was enjoyable, loving and warm. Pastor Barry McClure was the preacher whose life and family showed us that he carried his Christianity in his heart, not on his sleeve. What a great family! I remember Mrs. McClure baking homemade pies for the housewarming whenever the McClure family moved into the parsonage next door to the church. She and the children (three children - Timmy, Tammi and Donna, I believe) were fun to have around, and the Bible was opened to me bit by bit and page by page. Vacation Bible School in the summer and Christmas pageants (once my brother Brent and I - both elementary age - somehow got into a choir for a Christmas cantata. Not a kids' choir, mind you. We were dropped into a row in the midst of full-grown adults. Maybe 20 in the choir. Adults... and us two kids. We sang terribly. It was great.) of all sorts.
In the turbulent years of the 60s, this small church (we helped add the new wing on that you see to the left of the web page picture on the link - I mean, we helped dig and haul bricks) was a quiet refuge that bright great relief and spiritual comfort through teaching us about the caring covering of Jesus Christ.
I hope churches never get away from that important part of the ministry.
Psalm 122:1 - "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD."
