A FOUNDATION OF FAITH AND COMMUNITY

Faith and Religion have always been the corner stones of this country. From the very beginning faith in God and the freedom to worship our God were the foundation on which our great country was built.  From the tiny country Churches to the great halls of worship, they have one thing in common, these houses of worship have survived to helps us rejoice in the good time and and comfort us during the bad times. 

The small country churches that dot the landscape of rural America are still the center of the community. They are not only places of worship they are the foundation of  a community where neighbors gather to witness new families united in marriage.  They are the place where we gather to remember the lives of  those whose earthly journey has ended, and we can rejoice in knowing that they have enter the kingdom of heaven.

These small country churches may not be filled to capacity but they are filled with friends and neighbors who forge the strong bonds of a community. President Lyndon Johnson gave us One of the best definition of a community that I have ever heard when he said, "I come from the Texas Hill Country, where people know when you are sick, love you while you are alive, and miss you when you die." 

These small country churches are filled with the voice of friends and neighbors; none of them can sing very good. But you put them all together and you get the most beautiful sound your will ever hear. Voices of friend and neighbors, sharing stories of life, and songs of faith at the all day singing  and dinner on the ground. 

Yes, these small country churches are the foundation of America, for they bring together people of all walks of life. And these people become neighbors, and neighbors become friends, and these friends and neighbors become communities. 

As I travel the back roads of America, I have found that sadly the community school has closed in favor of larger ones. The small country stores are closed and sit abandoned. But the one thing that has survived are the churches. Yes they are the foundation of a community, and they are the foundation of America.