Tuesday, July 12, 2011

A Most Memorable Music City Weekend

Have I truly moved from Nashville to Clarksville? Dear reader, you might not know it from all the hours I spent in Music City this past weekend!

Beginning Saturday: I drove from C'ville to my work at the Tennessee State Library & Archives building, signing in at seven in the morning. It was what I've been told is a typical Saturday: busy! Certainly we served more Patrons than on Thursday or Friday, same shift time (7am to 2:30pm). I took some photos while at work. BTW, I truly feel as tho' I'm a State employee now; Thursday I received my photo ID and Friday my State Internet system ID and password -- now I can do work-related e-mail.

After work I drove to Vanderbilt University's central library building, to do Internet stuff -- personal e-mail, Facebook, blogging -- and listen on-line to one of my favorite radio broadcasts, "Front Porch Fellowship". It's an hour show featuring the best in Bluegrass Gospel music, hosted by Les Butler on Solid Gospel 105 (FM). You can catch it at 4pm Saturdays, repeated same time Sundays.

I topped off my Music City Saturday by returning to downtown, specifically to the Nashville Convention Center, where I joined in the "kick-off" worship service for the biennial General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the denomination thru which I participate in the universal Church, and which denomination ordained and endorsed me to Army chaplaincy (1981-84). I saw several D o C folk I knew, both from Texas and from Tennessee (or formerly from Tenn., now from Ohio). The preliminary music and brief speeches made much of Nashville as "Music City" and our friendliness. And the actual worship included hymns and songs. As one speaker commented, "Singing is NOT a spectator sport for us Disciples!"

Sunday morning the Tenth I drove IH 24 from C'ville to Nashville again, for choir rehearsal, breakfast and an early (8:30am) worship at my church, Eastwood CC(DC). It was SO GREAT to see and speak with my Eastwood brothers and sisters again! The sanctuary was packed to the walls with worshipers -- I hate to imagine how over-the-top SRO the "regular-time" service would be! But members and our many visitors (including former Eastwood pastors) got treated to a rousing choir Anthem of "Lord, Here Am I" (hence my showing up extra-early for rehearsal), other fantastic musical offerings, and a fine sermon by Mike Kinnamon, titled "Why 'Tell It' Isn't Enough". "Tell It!" is the theme of the Assembly taking place right now in Music City.

Don't get me wrong! I love Clarksville, and am glad to be dwelling in the Queen City. But for this special weekend Music City was almost my home again!

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