From the Pen of Paul: Keith Richardson (1931-2011)
I can't remember the first time I met Keith, but I knew him when he worked for Fowler Crawford at Fowler's Grocery on the northern end of Algood's main street, and just past the Algood High School. Later, in 1966, Keith and Claudine would purchase this store from Mr. Crawford and it would become Richardson's Grocery. For the next 25 years, until 1991, Keith and his family would run this little grocery store. Because of this, Keith became known and loved by the little town of Algood. This love and respect was well-noted by the large number of people who visited the funeral home on Friday night, and attended his memorial service on Saturday. Many of these folks had their own stories about their association with Keith during those years.
Keith loved his business; he loved his customers; he loved serving his customers; he loved visiting and talking with his customers He was well-known for his “baloney” which he bought by the stalk, and sliced by hand, “thick or thin.” Keith was a humble man. He was a meek man. He loved his Lord and the folks at the Northeast Church of Christ where he attended for over 30 years. Keith was a soft-spoken man; I have never heard him raise his voice or speak ill of anyone. When I visited Keith, whether at Master's nursing home or in his own home in Algood, most of the conversation centered around Keith's questions concerning the members at Northeast. Others who visited him said the same thing about their visits. He wanted to know how things were going at church and looked forward to getting better in order that he might be able to come back.
Keith was born in the old Willow Grove community of Clay County. This community was later to be flooded with the building of Dale Hollow Dam and all the residents had to move out. Over the years, the Willow Grove folks have been a very close-knit group which is being reduced yearly by death. At Northeast, we have a few others from this group including brother Malcolm Hill, Cap and Alice Sewell and Earlene Qualls.
Keith was also a veteran of the Korean War; he served two tours of duty with the Army, serving his country well. Shortly after his military service, Keith obeyed the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He was a faithful member, along with Claudine, his wife of over 55 years, for the rest of his life. Until his illness they seldom ever missed a service. As brother David Hill said last Sunday, “Keith's seat has been empty, waiting for the time he could be well enough to fill it again.”
Keith was a great encourager of this writer, in my work as a Gospel preacher, and I am sure of others as well. I can remember him and Claudine, as they would bring their boys and visit the Netherland Church of Christ occasionally on Sunday nights when I was preaching there. He encouraged me as a young preacher, and later at Northeast. Keith was loved by the folks at Northeast. This was demonstrated by over 30 folks from Northeast attending his memorial service, and several others who visited on Friday night.
Keith's last two years or so were not so pleasant because of his illness and being “shut-in.” But, like the apostle Paul, Keith “Looked not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (II Cor. 4:18). Keith “walked by faith, not by sight” (II Cor. 5:7). Because of that, even though we mourn the loss of his presence among us, we have hope of being reunited with Keith in eternity. “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them” (Rev. 14:13). Keith's favorite hymn was “As the Life of a Flower” and he requested it often. I'm sure the folks at Northeast will remember Keith every time we sing this song in the future.
On behalf of the Northeast church, we extend our deepest sympathy to Claudine, Danny, and Mike, as well as the other members of his family. May God bless and keep you and help you through this difficult time; and may you remember the example he set before you, and follow Keith as he followed Christ (I Cor. 11:1). And Keith, till we meet again, farewell my good friend, farewell!
—Paul M. Wilmoth
From the Preacher’s Viewpoint. . .
“Our schools and educational institutions are now studying values clarification. They are trying to decide about what is good and what is bad and what should be taught in public classrooms. Please review this subject for us.”
American has drifted a long way from the ideals of her founding fathers. Our forefathers came to this country because they were seeking religious freedom from the government. They did not want the state forcing a certain religion on them.
The pilgrims were not seeking to divorce church and state. There is not one word in our constitution that says there must be a separation of church and state. The first article says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...” The separation of church and state is an invented statement of some of the people of this country. It was not a part of the constitution of the United States and is still not a part of it.
The founding fathers of the United States wanted God-fearing people to run this country. The God of the Universe was taught in virtually every subject in the early days of the United States. Bible morals were taught in spelling books, readers and most other classroom books. Our songs about America mention God; such as “God Bless America” and such phrases as “God shed His grace on thee.” Our pledge to the flag mentions God. Our money says “In God we trust.” Prayers were uttered often in times of crises from the Oval Office of the President down through all offices of our government.
Buildings and monuments in our nation’s Capitol have Bible quotations by the scores on them. Above the head of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court are the Ten Commandments. Engraved on the metal cap on the top of the Washington Monument are the words: “Praise be to God.” Lining the walls of the stairwell are such Biblical phrases as “Search the Scriptures,” “Holiness to the Lord,” “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Within the walls of The Library of Congress many Bible quotations can be found. One reminds each American of his responsibility to his Maker: “What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly and love mercy and walk humbly with thy God” (Micah 6:8). Another in the lawmaker’s library preserves the Psalmist’s acknowledgment that all nature reflects the order and beauty of the Creator. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth His handiwork” (Psalm 19:1). Another reference to the Bible found there is: “The light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not” (John 1:5).
At the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, we have this inscription, “...That this Nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address alludes to “God,” “the Bible,” “Providence,” “the Almighty,” and “divine attributes.” That same address said: “As was said 3000 years ago, so it still must be said, The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.” These are on the North wall at the Lincoln Memorial. I wish I had space to mention more about the Bible and the United States government.
But we cannot teach Bible principles in our public schools anymore in the name of “separation of church and state.” We cannot read the Holy Book any more in our public sermons in the name of “separation of church and state.” We are forbidden to pray in our public schools anymore. They can teach in our public schools that we evolved from the slime pit; monkeys are our ancestors; that there is no one above us, and no standard for conduct. But we are forbidden to teach there is a God that created us, that His Bible should be our guide, and to Him we must give an account for our conduct. We cannot teach in public schools the life of Jesus Christ; but we can teach about the life of Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Alexander the Great and others. I believe our educational system is mixed up.
Every good law and principle that is taught anywhere comes from the Bible. If not, I challenge anyone to cite one good law that cannot be found in the Bible. It is impossible to establish right and wrong without the Bible. I challenge anyone to deny this. I think a good discussion along this line would be in order and very timely.
—Malcolm L. Hill