So Sunday morning, we packed up the kids and went on a little hour and a half road trip to Binger, Oklahoma: land of baseball, birthplace of Johnny Bench, and home to the Binger Baptist Church. Even without directions, we found our location in this small town easily, turning right at the light because it just felt right, and coming along side it on the south side of Main Street (Or what appeared to be THE main street, although I'm not certain of its actual title.)
I really wasn't sure what to expect and was surprised and pleased when I saw that the church was a combination of the old and the new. Originally established in 1916 by Baptist missionaries, the older part of the church connected to a beautiful new sanctuary by a covered portico. According to my sweet cousin the congregation had simply outgrown the old sanctuary and a new one was completed in 2010. The original worship area now houses their youth ministry, amply providing for the needs of all 165 regularly attending members.
The new sanctuary is open and airy and inviting. We were greeted at the door by a friendly gentleman welcoming us to church and handing us a bulletin, swept through the lovely foyer, and entered the sanctuary, where we took in the spacious seating which faced a large stage with a stain-glass bedecked baptismal behind, and a number of giant dinosaur skeletons. Yes, dinosaurs! This is where things become a little out of the ordinary.
For you see, my cousin and I's conversation the night before had revealed that rather than their regular Sunday service, where my cousin's husband and pastor of BBC, Mark Price, would be conducting the service and providing the message, this Sunday they were hosting a representative from the Creation Truth Foundation. Dr. Charles Jackson was there to share about God's word and creation and to show some of the science behind Creationism, dinosaurs in the Bible, and the fallacy behind Darwin's Theory of Evolution. In addition, the Creation Truth Foundation had provided a mobile museum, and the entire stage area was taken up with what I'm assuming are replicas of dinosaur fossils, full bodies both large and small, heads, and eggs, and footprints. It was a dinosaur-lovers dream come true, and the kids were ecstatic!
Now I have to admit, I feel a little guilty that in the 15 or so years Kandy and Mark have been married, and especially in the past 5 years that Mark has served as pastor at Binger Baptist, we've never made an effort to hear Mark preach, and when we FINALLY do make an appearance for Sunday worship it's on a day when there's a guest speaker, but I promise it's nothing personal, and after our journey is over, we'll definitely be back for a "normal" worship service.
But in the meantime, you can't even imagine how excited my two youngest daughters (and my husband) were about these dinosaurs. Before the service began, Dr. Jackson encouraged them to get up close and personal with the fossils, take pictures, read the educational plaques, etc, and boy did they! I think every mother in the room was holding their breathe and praying it wouldn't be their child who knocked the Albertosauras Libratus skeleton to the floor and smashed it to smithereens. There was a collective maternal sigh of relief when we were asked to take our seats and worship service began.
Worship service began as I assume it traditionally does, with a prelude and welcome, followed by a couple of lovely old hymns. Unlike many small town churches I've attended, this church accompanied their hymns with not only a piano and organ, but also an electric keyboard, played by none other than my talented cousin and friend, Kandy Price. The three instruments sounded lovely together, and as we lifted our voices in song, lead by the talented Kenny Violette, I felt content, at ease, and touched by the spiritual knowledge that God was at home in this house of worship. It's hard to explain, but everything just. felt. right.
Following the music, Dr. Jackson took the floor, and for the next bit of time (30 minutes? 3 hours? I really couldn't tell you because we were all so engrossed), we were both entertained and educated beyond any possible expectations. Do not make the mistake of combining images of scientist and the dry eye guy in this particular case, but imagine a more handsome but equally passionate version of Jeff Goldbloom from Jurassic Park and Independence Day with the brain of a true scientific genious, and the ability to keep the attention of both young and old alike. Truly it was astonishing. In a matter of minutes he had rattled off more information about creation, Noah's flood, and dinosaurs described in the book of Job than I ever thought to comprehend. He effectively urged the church to take heart because science and our faith do not contradict one another, but in reality every scientific fact (not theory- that's an important distinction) can be backed by the Word of God. (If you're interested in learning more, I highly recommend checking out their website at www.creationtruth.com).
He ended his session with a question and answer time that could have gone on and on but eventually had to come to a close, much to the disgust of our 5 year old, who did not get her very important question about whether or not the T-Rex was actually the King of the Dinosaurs answered. The worship service concluded with a final song, offering, and prayer. Afterwards, Dr. Jackson took time to visit with the children (and my husband), answering many questions, such as "Do dogs go to heaven?" and the difference between evolution and survival of the fittest. Eventually, I had to drag my family away, as we had been asked to lunch at the home of the pastor and wife, and I knew the kids would want some time to play with their cousins before we hit the trail.
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| Our middle daughter is obviously mesmerized, as indicated by her glowing eyes. (Sorry, I need to get a phone with a better camera, or work on my editing skills. It's a process, people. I'm getting there.) |
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| Middle Daughter's Steeple Chase Journal Entry. |
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