A Place Called Rosebud

A Rosebush in Every Yard

After graduation God gave me an opportunity to preach for a small church in Rosebud, Texas.  Rosebud was a farming community south of Waco.    The town slogan was “a rosebush in every hard. The area population consisted of mostly Czech and German people with a sizable number of rednecks thrown in.  The black community probably made up a fourth of the community.  The Lutheran and Catholic churches were the predominate religions.   There was a large Baptist church, and other denominations were also represented.

Our congregation had about 75 members.  For the most part, they were simple, humble folks with a love for the gospel and caring hearts.  They were willing to take on a young preacher with little experience.  As I look back on it, I can scarcely imagine that it happened.  Since that time, I’ve known very few ministers, who were asked to step into a full time pulpit role immediately following graduation from college.   Everybody wants a “seasoned preacher.”  Rosebud took the view that what a young preacher lacks in maturity, he makes up for with enthusiasm.   He might have added that he tends to be a visionary who doesn’t understand when someone says, “It can’t be done here.”

He also does some very dumb things.  During my first week at Rosebud we had the annual Vacation Bible School, and I was in charge.   We took the kids to a park for a picnic on the last day.  I conducted the closing assembly and closed out the way I’d seen chapel dismissed at ACC.   I simply said, “You’re dismissed.”  Kid’s started running out of the building aimlessly.  It was all the adults could do to round them up, and get them in cars so they could go to the park.  Obviously, I didn’t really get off to a great start.  I saw a lady from Rosebud about forty years later who reminded me of that experience.  

My friend Evelyn Spring used to tell visiting preachers, "I was impressed" following their sermons.  If the guy was bad she didn't want to offend him.  "I was impressed" was neutral.  It could be a good or bad impression.   Clearly I impressed the folks at Rosebud when I closed out the VBS.