Rev Bill

I have posted today’s sermon on my sermon blog. Based on Luke 5:1-11, it’s entitled “Can We Go Before We Know?”

Here’s a portion of it:

Clarence Jordan was the son of a successful businessman in Talbotton, Georgia. As he grew up in Talbotton he became distressed over the poverty that so may people lived in – especially the white share croppers and the blacks. After graduating from the University of Georgia Clarence felt that he was being called into the ministry, and enrolled in Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Upon his graduation from Seminary he felt the call to go back to Georgia – but not to serve a Church as everyone expected him to do. He and his family moved to a rural area outside of Americus, Georgia and established Koinonia Farms — a community where the poor – both white and black – could come, work, and earn a living. Folks in the area called him a communist because everyone at Koinonia Farms shared everything equally. Folks also called him a lot of other names and some refused to buy the products raised on the farm because the whites and blacks lived side by side and fellowshipped and worked together – not the most popular way for folks in southern Georgia to live in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Many people tried to intimidate him and his farm and house were firebombed on many occasions, but Clarence and his family continued to work the farm and work for justice in many other ways.
Clarence was once asked if he ever regretted his decision to work for justice for the poor and begin Koinonia Farms. He replied:
“I have never regretted it. It might be good that I didn’t know what God’s call was going to mean for me – but I have never regretted following.”

You can read the sermon here.

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