Sunday Morning Service

The Runner family didn’t know Jesus until my Dad came along.  They were worldly people.  My Grandmother’s dad was a drunk, my great-uncle owned a bar, and they never went to church.  Dad started attending Sunday school down at the church of Christ in Arlington, S.D., at age 10. He would go to church with his dog, and it would sit quietly underneath his pew until church was over.  (Some of the old ladies complained about the dog coming to church, but the wise preacher said, “Well, I don’t know about stopping him from coming….he more faithful in attendance than a lot of you are.”) Dad became a Christian, and eventually, his mom, dad, and sister were baptized into Christ.

Our family was different after that.  Dad took this verse literally:

2Co 6:17 Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you,

Bob Runner lived his faith.  Coming out of the Navy after the Korean War, he faced the decision of becoming an Optometrist or a Minister.  He chose the ministry.  He knew that meant that his family would not have the nice things oftentimes that others may have had.   Dad’s motto was,” I’d rather have Jesus.”  He loved this song and sang it often.  I can still hear him singing...”I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold I'd rather be his than have riches untold. I'd rather have Jesus than houses or land; yes, I'd rather be led by his nail-pierced hands. Then to be the king of the best domain and beheld in sins dread to sway.  I'd rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.”

If we make it as a Christian in today’s world, this is the kind of commitment that we need.  We can’t sit on the fence. It’s either follow the world or leave the world behind and follow Jesus.

Joshua said, “Choose this day whom you will serve…” Joshua 24:15