The Fourth

Annual March for Jesus made its way down Georgia 85 into the County Government

Complex, Saturday, May 12, with Pastor and musicians from His House Community

Church leading the way.

As I walked

and sang along the near-two mile route, I saw the Body of Christ coming

together. There we were Baptists, Catholics, Lutherans, Pentecostals,

Blacks, Whites, Hispanics and on and on down the denominational and cultural

identities. It was a diverse crowd, indeed, but not a large crowd.

Pastor Knox

Herndon, this year's March coordinator, in the midst of opening his own

house of worship south of Senoia, gave leadership in attempting to bring

the Body of Christ together for one hour, one Saturday morning, once a

year.

One pastor,

with whom I walked a portion of the march, pointed out how busy churches

were doing their own thing, including his own. As I marched I saw members

of my own church conducting a car wash to raise monies for youth camp.

Most of the Fayette area pastors must really be busy for not more than

five or six aroused from their Saturday den to participate in the march.

On the one

hand, I want to stand on the top of the county courthouse and lead a cheer

for Pastor Herndon. Although leading the march this year, for three precious

years he and his church have gathered their guitar players, horn blowers,

and singers joining in to make the march as a good as an offering to God

as the Fayette area could muster.

Pastor Herndon,

a retired Army chaplain, and his wife, Dee, started His House Community

Church about five years ago. They now have bought property and a facility

on Georgia 85, south of the Georgia 85 and Georgia 16 Senoia intersection.

If you don't have a good church and looking for a good church where you

can count on a pastor being there for you, check it out.

So, let's all

thank Knox for the "earthly" thankless task of organizing the

march. Knox, you will finally have some stars on your shoulders one day

for your efforts or is that stars in your crown? Then, let us pastors

crawl out from under our rocks and ask Knox and the Lord to forgive us

for not uniting our churches in this great day of celebration of unity.

The churches with the most to participate were the least in appearance.

Go figure!

In many countries

around the world, where governmental restrictions are tight, if the rumors

began circulating about a march, thousands would flood the streets to

sing out in praise to Jesus. Here in Fayetteville, the Police stopped

traffic so we could march. Here, the county government let us use their

property. Here, the school let us use their parking lot. Here, we can

do it and don't do it very well. In many places, they can't do it, and

Christians by the thousands participate.

On the other

hand, we have another chance next year. When March organizers set the

date for the march, let's all put it on our calendars and guard it with

a passion. Let's plan to put together the most rocking parade for Jesus

that any town could experience. It should be a Fat Saturday for Jesus.

This Christian

life is a marvelous thing. We get another chance. Let's plan on taking

it next year!

The Rev. Dr. John Hatcher is pastor

of River's Edge

Community Church in Fayetteville.

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