Give me that old time religion
Give me that old time religion
Give me that old time religion
It’s good enough for me
- Negro Spiritual
"After emancipation, black churches became virtually the only place for African-Americans to find refuge.
"Services fused African and European forms of religious expression to produce a unique version of worship that reflected the anguish, pain, and occasional elation of nineteenth-century black life in the United States.
"Church buildings doubled as community meeting centers and schools until permanent structures could be built, and during Reconstruction they served as political halls.
"Ministers ... who stirred their congregations to strive for a more profound faith and more righteous way of living in a world of adversity provided spiritual guidance for a people whose faith and capacity for forgiveness was tested daily. For these people the black church was indeed 'a rock in a weary land.'"
-from The Black Church: a brief history
Some things haven't changed.
There are still thousands of these tiny churches In the towns and along the rural roads.
On Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings
the sandy unpaved parking lots welcome carloads of women and little girls
wearing their best bright dresses and fancy hats,
and men and little boys in shiny shoes, suits, and ties.
Posted with Blogsy
You're right, we have a number of them near us too.
ReplyDeleteIn many ways the black church has much to teach us about faith. It's too bad that it has to be separate.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realise it was still separate.
ReplyDeleteWhen I see movies about black churches I am always surprised they have so much joy and singing in their churches. That looks so different from our protestants religions here which are rather sombre. I am not religious brought up and still are agnostic but everybody has to do what they think is best for them.
ReplyDeleteHave only seen these small churches in movies....
ReplyDeleteWe have one of those small churches here in Fredericksburg.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy history.
ReplyDeleteI love old buildings like the one pictured and I am always so glad when it is put to good use for todays community.
ReplyDeletecynthia, do you have mass in the evenings on wednesday lovely church
ReplyDeletecynthia, do you have mass in the evenings on wednesday lovely church
ReplyDeleteHistory is not always beautiful but it always has something that pokes our interests and conscious thinking. Still, nowadays relegion serves as a "rock to a weary life" for many people.
ReplyDeleteInteresting building. I would not have guessed it was a church. 1027 people is a nice sized town:)
ReplyDelete