Lowville
This week, I got a call from a man who serves faithfully at
Northside, and learned that his father who had been sick and nearing death had
gone to be with Jesus at the age of 89.
My friend, in his 60’s was sorting through the deep emotions of saying farewell
to his father, a man he was extremely close to and respected greatly.
Just a couple days later, I would travel north with one of
our associate pastors and his wife to the funeral. Lowville is south of Watertown, and about an
hour and a half north of us. Lowville,
is the typical town that has birthed the vision in my heart for Keep the Fire
Burning. Google says the population was
4,982 as of 2010.
As we got to Lowville Baptist Church, we saw the crowd
already gathering. I learned that in the family there were six kids,
many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren. The service was the powerful reminder of what
matters most in life – faith, family and friends. Following the service, it seemed like
everyone joined the processional to the cemetery. Veterans were there to honor this fellow
soldier. Scripture was read, and prayer
was offered for the family by the pastor of the deceased.
We then returned to the church for lunch together. I had begun to realize, remember, and recognize that someone else who had a strategic role in the north was also buried in Lowville. His name was Daniel Nash. From
1816-1822 he served as pastor of the Stow’s Square Congregational Presbyterian
Church. He would later give himself to a
ministry of prayer with pastor/evangelist Charles Finney.
Nash was little known for his pastoral ministry, but his
prayers reached heaven and shook the earth.
Entire communities were transformed.
Thousands came to Christ. This
little known man would arrive at a community just a few weeks before Finney
would preach there, and rent a room. He
would gather a handful of believers in the town and pray until the scheduled
meetings. God moved greatly in answer to
prayer. The power of God would fall on businesses, churches and communities.
At lunch we learned that my friend’s brother was a pastor in town currently, and knew where Nash’s grave was. In fact his church owns the property where Nash's church used be located. He took
us further up route 26 to the site of the old church, and then down a very
small side road to an old cemetery where he showed us the grave of Daniel Nash. We prayed together and asked God for revival to come again. This weekend, I was
reminded again with Elmer Towns preaching at Northside, that the call to pray
is one of life’s greatest privileges.
Don’t ever call a place a small town – there are no ‘little’
places to God. After all, Bethlehem was
little in Jesus’ day. God raised up a
prayer warrior in Lowville and he’s doing it again. God also loves the cities and has plans for
those who live among the millions. Be
strong in the Lord. He’s at work. He lived, he died, he was buried, and he rose
again. He ascended into heaven and one
day He is coming back again. Be ready!
