PA S TO R PA U L’ S PA S S A G E S by Pastor Paul Ragle
IT’S GOOD TO CELEBRATE THE
GOODNESS OF THE HOLY ONE! Having served as a local church pastor for more than 40 years, I know that local churches are great places for local festivals. I have seen churches hold biblical arts festivals, Vacation Bible School festivals, Brush Arbor festivals, craft fairs and rummage sales – all great events for lifting local people’s spirits, providing fun, celebrating culture and raising a few funds. One church I know invites people to tour their building – they have a nativity festival each year in which members of the congregation on display nativity scenes they have collected over the years. People from all over the state show up in the weeks before the holidays to see the many nativity scenes. Other congregations sponsor Easter egg hunts and drive-through Nativity displays. All of these events are festivals where people celebrate culture and the goodness of life. While a student pastor in seminary, I pastored a little Disciples congregation in Dublin, Texas. It was a tiny church but there were several families within the membership that farm families - mostly raising peanuts and running cattle. I discovered that these families also had a gift for growing wonderful watermelons. I drove out to Dublin every weekend from the seminary at Texas Christian University to discharge my ministerial duties. I would stay in the church parsonage and I fell in love with the folks at Dublin First Christian Church and its community. I taught a Sunday School class for all the kids in the church at one time and I loved every minute of my weekends in Dublin. Normally I drove out to Dublin on Saturdays, but one Thursday evening, one of the church leaders called me. He said, “The melons are ready. We’re having our annual watermelon feast tomorrow night. You don’t want to miss it. Come hungry!” I made a special point to drive out to Dublin Friday afternoon after I finished my last seminary class at Brite Divinity School.
20 THE CORRIDOR MAGAZINE / SEPTEMBER 2021
I pulled up in front of the parsonage, seeing a farm truck was parked outside fellowship hall at the church. It was fully loaded with wonderful green watermelons! Several of our men were carrying loads of watermelons inside the building. I rolled up my sleeves helped to move melons. I had never seen that many watermelons. Long rows of tables covered with paper had been set up inside the fellowship hall. All the fellowship dinners served in that hall were wonderful, but this fellowship dinner was like no other I had experienced . By 5:00 pm the place was packed! All seats filled. Of course, there was the usual fried chicken, potato salad and other sides on a serving table, and after I delivered a supper prayer, folks lined up to get their fill. Dr. Pate, who had served as the church’s Sunday School superintendent for three and a half decades saddled up to me where I was waiting in line. He said, “Paul, since you’re new to all of this, I’d better give you a piece of advice. Don’t eat too much chicken and other stuff; you’re gonna want to save room. At this shindig, the watermelon is the main course!” In the short time I had known Joe Pate, I had learned to trust his wisdom. I ate sparingly. Before I could finish my plate, men of the congregation had started setting a full half of a watermelon in front of every person sitting at the tables. The meat of the watermelon was deep red and sweet. I don’t know how they managed to chill all those melons, but they were delightfully cold. I abandoned my supper plate and dug into the melon. Sweet and juicy! Best I ever tasted! I hadn’t even got close to the rind with my fork before one of the men grabbed my half a watermelon and replaced it with a new one. “We eat only the hearts of the melons at a feast!” he told me. I had no difficulty eating the heart of the second watermelon. And half of a third. It is good to celebrate the goodness of the Holy One!
