Brush Arbor

The greatest act of human existence is the act of worship...where the needs of mankind meet the greatness of God. In traveling every continent of the earth, I have witnessed all forms of worship, from the anointing spoon of India's Hindus to the voodoo dancing in Africa. In Christianity, Christians meet other Christians at the foot of the Cross, as different as solemnity of St. Patrick's Cathedral, 5^th Avenue, New York City, or the tent revival of evangelist Oliver P. Green, in an eastern North Carolina town.

I have discussed many times, my experiences selling Bibles up and down every “pig path” in eastern North Carolina during my 8 years as a university student, paying my way through college and professional school. In eastern North Carolina, 70 years ago, the Pentecostals would have large revival services in brush arbors. In a wooded area, built a large frame-type structure covered with branches and trees which has been cut down to give shade during the day, a covering at night. This was before the time of air conditioning, the church house was just too hot for such services. Under the brush arbor, air could circulate, wood shavings to cover the ground, temporary benches, large crowds could be seated. For the music they either had a small transportable organ, or string instruments such as guitars. There would be a small raised platform at the front for the evangelist. Often in the sound and fury of the singing, those filled with the message would run around the area, often running into a tree.

There was as much difference in these worship services as Ryman Auditorium , Nashville TN and Avery Fisher Hall, New York City. I have been to both, I know what I am talking about. I saw mother Maybelle Carter and her daughter June Carter Cash singing at the Ryman Auditorium, and I heard Lawrence Melchior at the Metropolitan Opera. I have enjoyed Archbishop Fulton Sheen, R.C. Sproul, Dr. Gene Scott, and even the evangelist Dr. Oliver P. Green. I have never heard a singer in a concert or preacher in a place of worship that I did not enjoy to some extent. I do not understand how any human being can have any enjoyment for the staccatic decadence which they call music, that you hear from some cars at some traffic lights and in changing channels on the radio.

Music is a comfort to human existence, that in the worship service should be very different from that in nightclubs. Children should learn early in life, the sacredness, sanity and sanctity of worship. There is an attitude of worship, the Jews in the Old Testament stood during the reading of the Torah. Early Christians stood during the worship services. Too many, on padded pews, smug, sophisticated, regard the worship service as just another meeting, often whispering, doing something else during the service. At the University Cathedral in Los Angeles, I have heard Dr. Gene Scott (now dead), notorious non-conformist theologian, stop right in the middle of a sentence and instruct an usher to escort someone right out of the backdoor, who was not paying attention to what he was saying, whispering or otherwise inattentive. I have heard the great preacher, Dr. R.G. Lee, when giving the gospel invitation at the end of his impressive, incomparable sermon, tell people who were getting up to leave early, to never come back. “Everything done for God's glory during the week, here in this church, is directed toward this invitation. If you are not prepared to worship with us for the entire service, if the cafeteria line is more important than the souls of men, we don't need you here.”

The litmus test of evangelical religion is our attitude of worship. Many have tried to replace the Holy Spirit of God, replacing Christian hymns and sermons with drums and drama, bells and smells. These days, more churches have split because of music than anything else. The jet-set, rock-a-billy crowd wanting an acoustic frolic. We, old-timey Christians enjoying the message of the hymn, quality organ and piano. I love Chicago's Moody Church, turning the dial on my radio, I can recognize the Moody church organ.

At the great Riverside church in New York City, I saw the great bells played. I spent many thousands of dollars to have a schulmerich carillon put in the church where my parents worshiped. Of course, they did not appreciate them, did not want them, even though it made a clairant call to Christ in the countryside. Worship is not entertainment, is a part of Sabbath rest for the Christian celebrating the Lord's day. At our farm home in the country, we were never given any choice about Sunday school or church, Sunday was a day of rest, even all the work animals, mules, etc. went to the pasture on Sunday.

Sunday afternoons were a time for visitation by relatives, many of whom had enjoyed the church service and my mother's bountiful dining table. God rested the seventh day, told us to do the same. If you want good health, give your body a day of fasting and rest, each week. 60% of our energy comes from the air we breath, 40% from calories, the reason for illness: calories and chemicals. Most of our body's energy is spent just digesting all the food we have crammed into our gullet, the body needs a time to rest and restore, fasting is a vacation for our internal body. Joy comes in possessing something good, there is no greater joy than the neurological, psychological, physiological act of worship. O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. (Psalm 34:8)