Brush Arbor Days

by Jenny Wren


Children, come along with me, 
Going down an old memory-lane. 
Unfolding this old-time memory , 
Was picked from an elder’s brain.
 

See, the acres of dark treetops, 
By an old winding, rocky road. 
Listen, to hear loud ax-chops, 
On the many trees, now bestowed.

Listen? A voice, here and there, 
Soon the “two-man-saws” are heard. 
People busy, working everywhere, 
Only, after getting the “word”.

 
Brush-Arbor plans are to be made, 
In this woods, now, so overgrown, 
Sun will shine, instead of shade, 
Soon the new-clearing is shown.
 

On new tree-stumps, tired men rest, 
As mind-visions fill their eyes 
Knowing: They have been blessed, 
Under these blue, Tennessee skies

Arbie Howard , with His wife Bea 
Gave the land for a future church. 
A brush-Arbor is all ready to see. 
Now, for a pastor they will search

An electric line soon is in place 
Now strung out from Arba’s own home 
"A-mens" filling each nook and space 
As the new-Light upon them shone.

Tree Limb a-sway with shiny leaves 
Wind swaggering, them in and out, 
Moon-light is now, filtered by trees, 
"Yes!" All Creation, seems to shout.


Saw-dust for flooring is brought, 
Seats made from block and board. 
An altar where God is being sought, 
Know Salvation is from The Lord. 


An Arbor’s ready, now in prayer, 
Soon a new pastor came so bold 
God has sent me, over here, 
A “Revival” I was told to hold!

It was the year of Forty-nine, 
From Those Cottage-Meeting days 
As House-to-house, ladies bind, 
Together in their homes, to pray

The church made from brush-arbor, 
Born beneath the tall-oak-trees. 
Many souls now, find safe-harbor, 
At an altar while on bended knees.
 

Next came this tar-paper hall, 
A quilt hangs up, becomes a door. 
A pot-belly stove, heating all, 
Filling it with warmth and more.


Our new building, made of block, 
Grew, then has grown, some more 
Our Elders, who have taken stock, 
In their own heirs, that they bore


Leave behind “seeds,” they’ve sown, 
Leaving the church, in loving hands 
Vision is growing, now almost grown, 
The Oak-Grove Church, now stands.


I myself have watched it grow, 
It is a miracle, in so many ways 
Since Eighty-six, "Yes, this I know, 
I Thank God for “Brush Arbor” Days

Copyright 2004 jenny wren
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2 Thessalonians 1:3 (King James Version)
3We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth; 
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Branching Out … in growth,
Instead of all four men wasting time working for the Lord together , sticking together like glue, ever think of this?  God could have had a hand in separating them himself, this way, they cover. Two bunches of people, same message, 

I never really worried when any church would split; people would get so upset, I just saw it as a time of shaking loose and cleaning out , getting rid of the useless cargo, and what has not stuck with them is “gone gone”. It was time for new blood in the house of God. Look at an old apple tree; if on that tree, only one limb produced fruit? The limb would break down and if the fruit no good, the tree would die. 

There would not be much fruit for the Master, because one limb or one church or one board only holds so much and it is time to spread out, and shake loose all that is not tied to it.

Why do you think God wanted people who serve him to go to another area where people knew you, before you were saved, and have a set opinion of you already, and in the new area you are a phenomenon. A prophet is without honor in his or her own country.

Remember when some were saying something of Jesus, nothing good would ever come out of Nazareth, and something like that naysayers same as said, “Why, that is not a prophet - that is just Jesus He came from over from Nazareth. Shucks I have known him all of his life. He is no prophet. Ha ha!

God does not pick the qualified. For a work God qualifies the ones who he picks himself. 

Heavenly Father, 
Keep us propped up until we grow in size…


Lord I ask that you knock the props out from under us and send us on our way to up-build another church or get one started at least . There is always growth in God’s kingdom or it stagnates. I praise you Lord for how you have this set up. Be in and with us all around us and guide, lead, and let us grow in you, Lord. In Jesus name I pray .

Love,

Jenny wren

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