Former American Press staff writer Sunny Brown Farley writes "Naked Faith," a look at faith in its natural form: lived out in the day-to-day lives of ordinary people.

Those Who’ve Gone Before

Posted August 22, 2009 at 9:18 pm
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This week, my husband and son and I went on a family vacation to San Marcos, Texas.

My great, great, great grandparents were among the founders of San Marcos and their house is a museum there. They also were people of faith. They were members of one of the oldest churches in town and some of their boys became preachers.

We made a trip to the family church and the church secretary gave us a key so we could go in the sanctuary and spend a little time.

It was an incredible feeling to walk through the old wooden doors and survey the historic place of worship. The afternoon light poured through stained glass windows with images of crosses, Bibles and doves.

We walked up and down the stairs and the aisles. We weaved through the pews. We stood in the pulpit, touched the keys on the pipe organ and smelled the flowers that were still in place from worship the previous Sunday.

I thought about how generations of my family sang, prayed and worshipped God in that wonderful place. I thought about how they brought their children to church. I thought about their baptisms and how they celebrated Communion there.

I was reminded of Timothy, the young missionary and companion of the Apostle Paul. We know from the epistles that Timothy’s mother and grandmother were Christians. Generations of Christians producing generations of Christians.

There is so much to be said for the people of faith who have gone before us. They have formed us, shaped us, molded us. They are our parents, grandparents and distant relatives.

At the little church in San Marcos, we knelt at the prayer rail and added our voices to the chorus of many who have prayed to God there over the years.

I thanked God for those who have gone before me and I prayed that my great, great, great children would love and serve the Lord.