June 16, 2023 - Good Morning! It's Friday, June 16.
This Sunday, June 18th, is Father's Day. And June 18th just happens to be my father's birthday. That happens once in awhile, and I'll certainly be remembering him this Sunday - as I know you'll be thinking of your dad.
My father passed away in 1995. Travis Lamar Mathis was a phenomenal preacher and pastor, and was known by the nickname "The Walking Bible", because of his amazing capacity for memorizing scripture. He had a high level of commitment to his calling, evidenced by his pastorate at the Faith Memorial Baptist Church in Houston from 1941 to 1995. That 54-year record of faithfulness marks the longest consecutive pastorate in the history of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Having said all that, my dad couldn't carry a tune in a bucket! Whatever musical ability I may have came from my mom, a soprano soloist, pianist, and organist. Daddy's one musical accomplishment, if you can call it that, was the unique ability to sit down at a piano and play "The Old Gray Mare" . . . with his knuckles. But, despite his musical limitations, my father loved hymns, and his favorite was "Rock of Ages".
This is one of the oldest hymns in our hymnbook. It was written 3 months before the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The writer, a young pastor in London, may well have been distracted by the news of what those rebels were up to in the "colonies". His name was Augustus Montague Toplady (how's that for a name!). Augustus went to school in Ireland and, while there, he attended a revival service in a barn, preached by a Wesleyan Methodist minister - and was gloriously saved.
Perhaps the first line of this old hymn was inspired by the fascinating story found in Exodus 33:18-23.
And Moses said to the Lord, "Now show me Your glory!" And the Lord said, "You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live. There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back - but my face must not be seen."
Rock of ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee
Let the water and the blood,
from Thy wounded side which flowed
Be of sin the double cure,
Save from wrath and make me pure.
When I draw this fleeting breath,
when mine eyes shall close in death
When I rise to worlds unknown,
and behold Thee on Thy throne
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.
Have a blessed Father's Day!
Meet you back here on Monday,
Bro. David
dmathis@fbccenter.org
