Little Sermons That I Have Seen
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Forty two years ago my daddy walked as far as he could walk with me. The early morning sun rose over a clear September morning, casting its rays through the tall pines and the mossy oaks onto a house, more than a hundred years old, where I was to open my eyes and see my first school day begin. By 7:15 a.m., an old, yellow school bus would be lumbering its way past the “Nazareth Place”, and I would need to be there to catch it for my first ride to first grade. It was a mile, from the comfort of our house, through the woods to the public road where the Nazareth family lived. That would be a long, lonely, scary walk for a little boy! Daddy understood! He took me by my hand and walked as far with me as he could. Beside the old clay road in front of the Nazareth house, he had to stop. With careful and loving eyes, he watched his teary-eyed, frightened little boy climb aboard that old bus for a long ride to a strange new world . . . to school. He knew it would be a good world for me! He would have gladly gone further. He would have studied the ABCs again or learned all over the multiplication tables. He would have wrestled with all the unknowns that a little boy must wrestle with, but he couldn’t. He walked as far as he could walk that day. He saw me onto the bus and onto my way in life. I couldn’t see back there, but I’m sure tears rolled down his tough cheeks as he watched painfully as his little boy took that step into a strange new world. Daddy walked as far as he could walk with me early that morning and a thousand other mornings as I stepped into new worlds. He walked through the woods hunting with me. He held my hand as we waded up and down the river fishing. He walked as far as he could go down the “dating” path. He guided me down life's path of moral principles just as far as he could go. At his knees, he led me as near to Jesus as he possibly could and rejoiced when at last he got me close enough that I could reach out and touch the Master’s hand. He gave directions, as long as he could, on life’s journey, but turned loose when he had guided me as far as he could go. Great satisfaction came when he stood close by and witnessed the grasp of God upon my life that resulted in the call to the ministry. My Daddy walked with me as far as he could walk down as many of life’s paths as he could walk down. Tonight, every step he took with me is an everlastingly glorious one! Tonight, I’ve walked with Daddy as far as I can walk. I’ve not been a perfect son by any means, but I’ve walked with my Daddy just as far as I can walk. I’ve stood for days beside his bed, thinking that each minute would be the very last one that I would have with him on earth. I’ve been utterly confounded by the fact that I could do so little. Tonight, I’ve walked right to the brink of the river of life! I’m not afraid of the journey that my Daddy must make now! He won’t be nearly so alone as I was on that old school bus. Jesus took his hand long before I turned it loose. Tonight, he walked hand-in-hand with Jesus into the Father’s House. We’ve walked together, Dad and I. He walked as far as he could with me. Tonight, I’ve walked as far as I can walk with him. Praise be to God forever more! One day we’ll walk together again . . .and there won’t be any sad parting then! But until that day, I won’t fear for him, because he holds the Master’s hand now as he walks across the Jordan singing God’s Praises — Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
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About the Book
In 1979, Virgil R. Lee and his family moved to the Dawson Street United Methodist Church in Thomasville, Georgia, where he would serve as pastor. The church newsletter that was mailed was printed on plain white bond paper, which meant the front page was blank. The author determined he’d use the space not for some kind of advertisement or promotion but to say something inspiring and encouraging. With that thought in mind, he wrote the first article, thinking about “little sermons that I have seen” – and from 1979 to 1993, he wrote an article every week under that topic with only an occasional exception. After 1993, when he became district superintendent of the Americus District of the United Methodist Church, he began writing his messages monthly to coincide with the newsletter publication schedule of the district. You’ll enjoy the author’s thoughtful meditations and God-given wisdom on a variety of topics in Little Sermons That I Have Seen.
About the Author
Virgil R. Lee was born in Grady County, Georgia, and completed high school there in 1956. He obtained degrees from Young Harris College, Valdosta State College, and Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Reverend Lee married Sue Howell in May 1965, and they had two children, Allen and Suzanne. Allen was an architect and is now a physician. He has three children: William, Abby, and Thomas. Suzanne is married to Troy Stencel. Suzanne is a pharmacist, and Troy is an architect. They have three children: Chandler, Anna, and Barrett. Reverend Lee began his ministry in the Cairo Circuit during his college years and served as a local pastor across the South Georgia Annual Conference from 1958 to June 1993. In June of 1993, Bishop Richard C. Looney, Bishop of the South Georgia Annual Conference, invited Reverend Lee to serve as district superintendent of the Americus District, where he continued his ministry. Over the years, he served in a number of positions, which included secretary of the Thomasville, Waycross, and Columbus District Conferences. He served as conference chairman of health and welfare Ministries for two quadrenniums. He was a member of the board of trustees of the Methodist Home for Children and Youth and Magnolia Manor. In his later years, he served as a member of the board of trustees of Candler Hospital in Savannah, Georgia. For two quadrenniums, he served on the Georgia Commission of Higher Education. He was also a member of the board of trustees for the Wesley Foundation at Georgia Southwestern College in Americus and Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Virgil enjoyed, as an act of relaxation, fishing, hunting, most athletic events, and woodworking. In every community where he lived, he was actively involved in community affairs, where he took an active leadership role in ministerial groups and the work of the church. Virgil passed away on November 21, 2023, at the age of eighty-six. Writing was always a part of his weekly activity.