A Lesson In Humility

A Lesson In Humility
By Hal Haralson,
Attorney in Austin, Texas

Trinity Baptist Church of San Antonio has always been a creative congregation. Buckner Fanning, the pastor, was constantly trying new ways of getting people to become involved in the church.

One Sunday night in 1964, Buckner announced from the pulpit that there would be a group of Episcopalian laymen leading all who were interested in "small group" worship. To be a part of this you had to commit to be there for eight Tuesday nights.

Judy and I talked about this that night. It would be interesting. I never had seen an Episcopalian much less been in a worship service led by one. Pretty far out for a lifelong Baptist. Also, the term "small group" was a new concept to us. And so we went.

The leader, Keith Miller, an oilman from Oklahoma, was introduced. He had recently moved to Kerrville, Texas. The men he brought with him were new Christians and each shared his story with the entire group. We heard Dan Bacon (surgeon), Chick Chaulk (dentist), Al Plummer (owner of a funeral home) and a jewelry maker who was operating out of his garage. He was just getting started. His name was James Avery.

These men were open, honest, and hilarious at times, and their stories touched us all. They were all Episcopalians.

Keith kept us in one group (about 60) and talked of his own experience. He told of searching for peace in his own life and finding it only after turning himself over to Jesus Christ. This story eventually became Keith`s first book, The Taste of New Wine — one of the best selling religious books of all time.

While we were in the circle, Keith asked if anyone wanted the group to pray for them. Judy (my wife) raised her hand. "Alright," said Keith, "let`s all pray for Judy." She was really embarrassed because of being singled out in this manner. She didn`t know Keith meant here and now . . . and in public.

We moved on, divided into groups of eight. Keith had us go around our "small group" and answer the following questions. (He called them the "Quaker Questions" because he got them while attending Earlham College, a Quaker institution.) We were told we could pass if we didn`t want to answer a question. The questions were:

Where did you live between the ages of 7 and 12?

How did you heat your home then?

What was the place of greatest warmth then (in the house or the surrounding area)?

What person had the greatest influence on your life then? Tell about that person and what influenced you?

At what point in your life did God become more than just a word to you?

The questions were unthreatening and simple in the beginning. As we gave our own answers and listened to others, a bond of trust began to form. I told of heating our home with butane gas in West Texas. When the butane truck came, my brother Dale and I were each given a penny. Tater Thompson drove the truck to our farm from the store at China Grove. He had a toolbox full of "penny candy" in the front seat. We would take the entire time Tater was there making our selection.

Someone spoke of using coal to heat their home. I thought coal went out with the cavemen. I`d never seen coal. There were stories of tree houses, space in the attic, and a cave that had been dug over a pasture. The cave was about three feet deep and covered with cedar posts, tin and dirt–sacred territory where boys smoked cedar bark and talked about girls.

It took weeks to get through all the questions and answers, and we were so impressed with the small group process that we formed one of our own, a Baptist couple, an Episcopal priest and his wife, and a Methodist couple. The Episcopalians were really influencing us Baptists.

Keith Miller, the Episcopalian who introduced me to small groups, was named director of Laity Lodge, the Butt Foundation Retreat Center near Leaky, Texas. He invited Judy and me to participate in a weekend and asked me to speak. It was one of the first times I had told of leaving the ministry, my suicide attempt and dealing with manic depression.

We developed a close friendship with Keith and participated in a number of "teams" in churches that had asked him to lead conferences. This usually meant I would speak and Judy would have a smaller part in the program.

After publishing The Taste of New Wine, Keith left Laity Lodge and spent his time speaking and writing. Bill Cody was named director at Laity Lodge. Our friendship with Bill and Betty Ann Cody covers many years.

St. David`s Episcopal Church (there we go associating with the Episcopalians again) asked Bill to lead a Faith at Work conference at their church in Austin. Bill asked Judy and me to be on the team. We were honored to be on the program and looked forward to being with Bill again.

St. David`s is a large church and there would be a large group of people there to hear me speak. I began working on my remarks before we got to Austin.

The team met with Bill prior to each session and talked about what had happened in the last session and who was to speak on the next program. We were building toward the final session that would be the largest number of people. Bill had not called on me yet, so that meant he was saving me for the last and most important gathering.

At the team meeting, Bill looked at Judy, "Judy, I would like you to speak at the final session."

That was it! I wasn`t called on for anything.

Judy made notes on the back of a couple of napkins. Bill introduced her and she read:

"Woman`s World"

My world is made up of Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays,
Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays
Washing, ironing, cooking, cleaning, churching,
Mending clothes, turning down radios, wiping noses and bottoms
Answering telephone rings and doorbells
Letting dogs in and letting dogs out
Taking children to and bringing children from
Fixing food, making beds, mopping floors
Rejoicing, crying, listening

Rejoicing with Jill when her cat had kittens
Crying with Brad when his kite string breaks
Listening to David`s tales of Sesame Street
I must communicate with my husband
Share with my neighbors
Empathize with my friends
Organize myself, my home, my children, my husband, and the women at the church
On and on, endlessly, my world goes

Then Jesus steps into the uttermost parts of my world and speaks
He speaks through little mouths, teary eyes, hurting looks
He speaks through closed doors, trusting hands, unuttered wishes
He speaks through David as we make a cake,
"Me help, Mommy, me help"

"David, if you wouldn`t help so much I could get it done a lot
better in half the time"
Then I listen as the great God says to me
"Judy, if you just wouldn`t help so much I could get it done better
in half the time"

There was a stunned silence when she finished and sat down. It was the high point of the weekend.

My ego was bruised. My wife had upstaged me. No one got to hear me speak.

My ego was repaired as time passed.

My pride in my wife and my respect for her ability has continued to grow through the years.

So has my respect for Episcopalians.

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