My time behind the Pulpit

My grandfather was an United Brethren minister. For those for whom the name means something, this was not the current denomination, he was under the new constitution. The UBs were basically german methodists. Around 1946, they consolidated with the Evangelical Church to become the United Brethren, Evangelical. In the late 1960s, they merged with the Methodist Church to become United Methodist Church.
He had his doctorate from Moody. He wasn't a minister by the time I was around, but he still read religious books, still planned to write a religious book; still listened to George Beverly Shea on record... He did however think I would be a fine minister when I grew up....

So, I had least was grinning for that reason, when I stood behind the pulpit up in Fayetteville the other week. I talked about the history of the Universalist Church (the other U), trying to spotlight on local Carolina material. I ran out of time before I ran out of the 19th century...
While I'm more of a Ballou guy than a Murray guy, it's so fun to talk about Murray. His ups and downs in England, the UU miracle story - at Good Luck! Even the rock --
I mentioned the Carolina Universalists who were barred from being witnesses in court, and of course the theory (on wikipedia ) that the first Universalist Church was in South Carolina.
Fun, i could have gone on and on.

Ive given talks to my local UU group, but that was local. This was different, this was folks I didnt know in a town I could (and did) get lost in.