Rebecca Prenshaw - Life Markers, Stones of Remembrance, & God Follower
Exploring faith journeys and sharing inspiring I am your host, TJ Malinoski. Reverend Rebecca Prenshaw is a member of Presbytery of East Tennessee and is sharing her gifts of ministry and music at the Knox Will First, Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Rebecca takes me on her faith journey, which includes a Billy Graham movie, song lyrics, music, quotes from some books she is reading, and some meaningful scriptures. I even learned an acronym for the word FAT. That's right, f a t. You are listening to the Cumberland Road, and here is my conversation with Reverend Rebecca Prenshaw.
T.J.:Hello, Rebecca Prenshaw, and welcome to the Cumberland Road podcast. It is nice to meet you. This is our first time to really be able to sit down and talk, and and, thank you so much for your willingness to be on the podcast and share your journey of faith.
Rebecca:Hello, TJ. Thank you. Thank you for having me. I appreciate your invitation, and I appreciate your work on your podcast.
T.J.:I'd like to begin our conversation with where did your journey of faith begin? Can you trace it back into the past? Was there a pivotal moment?
Rebecca:Well, yes. Let's see. And just how far back am I gonna go? But, I I was I, I was saved as a child. And interestingly, it was it happened through a Billy Graham evangelistic movie
T.J.:Okay.
Rebecca:That, I attended. I know my mom and brother and I attended. My dad was, we were going to meet him because he was in Louisiana at that time. But we stopped at my great aunt's house and went to this movie entitled For Pete's Sake.
T.J.:Okay.
Rebecca:And and, you know, I don't remember the movie at all, but I do remember that, at the end, I was just overcome with this emotion that I could not explain. And, and and I believe it was God calling me. I actually, went went down and and, was prayed for. So my journey began early.
T.J.:Well, let me let
Rebecca:me understanding of a child that, you know, what the understanding you can have at 9 years old of
T.J.:Oh, okay. That actually. I was I was gonna ask you a couple of things. Where did you see the movie? Was it in a movie theater, at a drive in, or church?
T.J.:And then how old you were?
Rebecca:It was in a it was in a movie theater. I believe I was in, like, 5th grade. And I I would like to maybe rewatch that movie at some point to see, you know, what what it was.
T.J.:Yeah.
Rebecca:But that that was a a beginning point. That was a beginning point. And, you know, I've been in various stages in my life. You As as a Christian, I've been in in the growing stages, and I've been in not growing stages.
T.J.:Mhmm.
Rebecca:But that was the beginning. I would actually mark that moment. But as an adult, I was very, very hungry, for the for the word of God, and that happened in the the early 2000. And I was baptized as an adult again. But, I felt led to do this as an adult.
Rebecca:I think that was another maybe it was another marker in my life for sure. And that was in the, early 2,002, actually.
T.J.:So what was happening in your life for this revisit or this deepening of the faith?
Rebecca:Well, I was in a very, evangelical church, a very Bible believing church where the word was preached in power.
T.J.:Mhmm.
Rebecca:And I was very I experienced a really a real hunger and a thirst for the word. And and I was a young mother, and wanting to raise my sons, in a in a home that where they would know the Lord. So a song that really was really speaking to my heart. And this will date myself, but it was by Stephen Curtis Chapman. It was called Godfollower.
Rebecca:And I have this here. It says, my heart is restless as I wander through this jungle. The trees above refuse to let the sunlight through. And somewhere deep inside, I hear the whispered longings that tell me I was made for more than this. A blinding flash of light falls down into the darkness.
Rebecca:Slowly, I notice strange new markings on the trail. The crimson drops are calling out to me, come and follow. I am the God who made you. Let me show you how to live. And the chorus is, I want to be a God follower.
Rebecca:I want to go wherever he leads. I want to be a god follower. I want to walk the trail he's marked for me and be a God follower. So the last verse is when I reach God's place, I will look into his face, and then I'll look for you. Will I find you there?
Rebecca:Can you stay with me? I wanna be a God follower. It was very, very meaningful to me. And, and that began another part of my journey, actually. And it was part of the journey where I began seminary.
T.J.:Okay. So let me let me catch up. So you you're a mother, and you're deepening your faith, wanting to be that follower as the lyrics from Stephen Kirk's Chapman song, and then you begin seminary. What what were you pursuing in seminary? Was this a calling to ministry?
T.J.:Were you just exploring? Were you expanding your education? Kinda bring me into your mindset, during that time of your life.
Rebecca:Oh, that's a good question. I think it it could have been all of those things, actually. I did feel as if I was called to be a minister, But I was in a church at that time that was very full of the word of God. But that particular church, which was not a CP, but that particular church weren't very friendly towards women's giftings. Mhmm.
Rebecca:No women were in no deacons or elders. No female deacons and elders, much less preach a sermon. That wasn't really happening. So I was pretty bewildered by kinda what I was feeling, and it wasn't, what the church actually believed. And I'm I'm a very traditional person in in most areas.
Rebecca:So I wasn't really, I just didn't know exactly what was happening, but I did feel led to I really kinda wanted to go to seminary, and and I felt crazy, really. In fact, I I was not going to spend any of my family's money on going to seminary. That was just too much.
T.J.:So you have these layers of challenges, this calling towards ministry to go and attend a seminary, but attend a seminary without encumbering your family financially. Okay. I'm really interested to see how Rebecca overcomes these challenges and let alone being very involved in the congregation that wasn't recognizing gifts of ministry and leadership in with women?
Rebecca:Good question. Well, interestingly, again I mean, you could say coincidentally, but I don't really say that. I call those godwings maybe.
T.J.:Godwings. I have not heard that before.
Rebecca:You have or haven't?
T.J.:No. I haven't.
Rebecca:Oh, yes. I call those godwinks, those coincidences that are just like well, can you imagine that? I call those god winks. So distance learning was just becoming a thing that seminaries were thinking about. Mhmm.
Rebecca:There was a seminary that, of course, this denomination would would would appreciate, had some of the same philosophies of this denomination, that wanted to bring their seminary and offer a class at our church. Well, I was like, oh, I just wanted to do that. I was so you know, I was just like, that seems so awesome. But yet, I didn't want really anybody to even see me go in and talk to this person because I just felt like I was losing my mind and I don't know why I was going to seminary. It seemed crazy.
Rebecca:But I I talked to the the representative from the seminary, And I asked him about scholarships. And he said, well, you you know, we might could, you know, you might could have applied, but I'll tell you what. Do you like administrative work? And I actually do. I'm like, yeah.
Rebecca:He goes, well, if you will administrate this class, we will cover your tuition.
T.J.:Oh, wow. Interesting. So
Rebecca:and it was just a class. It was one class.
T.J.:So what was the class? Do you remember?
Rebecca:Class was church history.
T.J.:Okay.
Rebecca:And so you might imagine how overwhelming that class was.
T.J.:Your first introduction to seminary Yes. And it's on church history.
Rebecca:Yes. So I did administrate the class. So I did start for free. You know, I I started for free. And, and it was church history, and it was I was I I now this is later in life for me.
Rebecca:Mhmm. I've been out and I've been out of college. At this point, I have been out of college for 20 years. And I decide I'm gonna take this seminary class and not knowing. And and it was church history, which, you know, it's it's even more history than I know we have.
Rebecca:And it was I'll tell you. I mean, I was, pretty overwhelmed with the amount of work and the amount of reading and the amount even of a project. I mean, this was like one class. And I was reading in scripture in Luke, and I pulled it up here. One day, Jesus said to his disciples, Luke 822-25, Let's go over to the other side of the lake.
Rebecca:And so they got into a boat and they set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him saying, master, master, chair, And I was telling the Lord at my kitchen table, I am drowning. I am absolutely drowning.
Rebecca:And he got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters. The storm subsided and all was calm. And I turned the Bible page as I'm talking to the Lord saying, I am drowning. And on the next page was, where is your faith? He asked his disciples.
Rebecca:And I felt like he was asking me that. And I I apologize that I I don't have very much right now. You know, I'm I'm really sorry, but it was a very good question. I certainly wasn't exercising any.
T.J.:Mhmm.
Rebecca:And that was one of my first, stones of remembrances. You remember from the Old Testament that the Israelites were asked to collect stones and and pile them up, and they could tell their children and grandchildren, you know, what that meant. Well, I didn't my stone of remembrance, and I have these around my house. It's not really a stone, but it is something that reminds me of that that particular moment. And it is just a picture of of of Jesus sleeping in this boat that is in this terrible, terrible storm.
Rebecca:And I just put a little plaque underneath it that says, where's your faith? And I look at that picture. I I I'm sorry that I I do still have to look at that picture and ask myself that question. Alright. Yes.
Rebecca:Yes. I remember.
T.J.:But isn't that a good question to have before us? Because it it really is a question of relationship. Where am I in my relationship with God? Where is my you know, the trust factor and and the belief and the leaning and and I don't think it's a question we just ask once. I think it's a question that in in our relationship with God that is to continue to to ask.
Rebecca:Well, I'm I'm glad you do. I mean, I do I do. And I had a quote, recently, and it's in this book, Transforming Prayer by Daniel Henderson. And I want to read the exact quote. The hardest thing he he writes, the hardest thing about the Christian life is that it is so daily.
Rebecca:And I I agree with that. It is it is daily, living the Christian life. And I would like to say, well, I got that faith thing down now and, but it is so daily. Daily, we make choices. We're asked to make choices.
Rebecca:We do make choices, in faith or not. So Right. I do believe our our walk is a daily walk with Jesus.
T.J.:So we yeah. Rebecca, you did you make it through the class? Your first seminary class, church history.
Rebecca:I I did. And, I actually made an a in the class. And when I found that out, I literally did this. I opened my door in my house and shouted, he has done more than I thought he could. And that goes to, the a verse in Ephesians 3 20 and 21.
Rebecca:Now to him who was able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think according to the power at work within us, and that, of course, is his power. To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. And that verse just became alive to me, especially after the class. I I just was a little overwhelmed, and I was very overwhelmed. And that was my first class with me still not all the way sure why I was even there.
Rebecca:But that was probably 20 years ago. And and he has been, very, very faithful. I wanted to share another story that happened at some point in this journey, again, in seminary. I went to Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary.
T.J.:Okay. Yeah.
Rebecca:And I could not well, let me backtrack a little bit. So I took a few classes at the church that I was attending when I first started. Mhmm. But but my our theologies didn't didn't quite match. There were classes that women weren't allowed to take.
Rebecca:And, so I ended up so I I started seminary free, but I I I didn't end all the way free. You know? But Okay.
T.J.:So it was, at this point where your relationship with this particular congregation and your calling to ministry, they began to part as you were exploring more deeply your call into ministry.
Rebecca:Yes. And I actually had a, my first opportunity to preach with to actually preach came about 20 years ago, again, in 2002. I mean, like, it there was a wind blowing for sure. And I had this opportunity to actually preach, which, of course, I was very, very anxious about.
T.J.:Of of course. Of course. Yeah.
Rebecca:I'm very anxious about it. And I I I did with with God's help. Everything is everything is with God's help. Mhmm. But I had such joy.
Rebecca:I had, like, this joy of I couldn't even I could it was so much joy that I could not I I could not this it was just just an unbelievable joy that I had. And it was soon thereafter that I knew that I would probably relocate myself to another body of believers because I didn't I couldn't really submit to that leadership, because of all this joy I had. I mean, I'm sorry. I didn't really have confidence in me or in God, but I I had to go on, I guess, is what I would say.
T.J.:How tough was that decision?
Rebecca:Oh, it was very, very hard. It was very, very hard, but I knew that, as if you're a member of a body of if you're a member of a body, a church body, One must be able to, to submit to the leadership of the church. And and if if you find that you cannot, then it it probably is time that, you know, God is moving you. Now I can say that really calmly now, but, no. It's very, very hard.
Rebecca:But as a compliment I hope I hope you hear this as a compliment. As a compliment to the pastor of that church. He preached me right out of his church. I believed what he said, and I had to go on. It is a compliment
T.J.:Mhmm.
Rebecca:To the teaching at the church. And so, I I had to go on because I had kind of wanted and this is another thing. You know? I kind of wanted that that church's approval. And a lot of times when God is giving us our dreams or or or calling us to certain things, we really aren't to look for the approval of people.
Rebecca:You know, it's it's his approval that we want, and I wanted the approval of those that were in that church. And I I'm sure I got some of the approval, but it was it was time for me to go.
T.J.:And there there is something about having the affirmation of faith from the community of believers. You know, you're feeling and you're exercising these gifts within you, and the community that's surrounding you should be able to affirm and point those out and foster those. So, I do have a question as we're living in this moment and time of your life. As you were leaving this one body of believers, did you have another one kinda in sight, or did you go seeking what did that next step look like?
Rebecca:Well, I wanted to stay in the denomination I was in because the denomination was a little more friendly to women than this particular church in that denomination, if that makes sense.
T.J.:Sure. Sure.
Rebecca:So I went to a, a smaller church in the same denomination and, kinda meant to stay on the back row and
T.J.:That's harder to do than to say, isn't it?
Rebecca:Well, I wasn't gonna I was a a real active volunteer in this earlier church, and so I was, you know, I I I was gonna stay on the back row, just kinda be there. And, and, of course, you know, the Lord, he's just an amazing he is just amazing. We can tell him kind of what we think we're gonna do, and he he knows it isn't true. But and he moves us to do, I think, what he has planned for us to do when and and so it it was his doing. I will say that this this smaller church, they had they had lots of they they had confidence in me that I didn't have.
T.J.:Interesting.
Rebecca:They really, really did. And I'm I'm very thankful for this small body that just ministered to my heart and the pastor there, too. And and they helped me become Rebecca. Now that is my given name, Rebecca. But growing up, I I was called Becky growing up.
T.J.:Okay. And just for, to interject here, before Rebecca and I got started, recording, I asked, do you prefer to be called Rebecca or Becky? And she goes, oh, well, there's an interesting meaning behind the question. And I said, oh, wait. Don't tell me if you wanna share it later.
T.J.:So this is the moment that you went from Becky to Rebecca. So thank you for letting me interrupt you.
Rebecca:Absolutely. Yes. I I wanted to be Rebecca because, and I love that name. That is my name. Mhmm.
Rebecca:You know? And Becky, of course, was a nickname. But, soon thereafter, I was in 2 I was gonna go to campus for the first time. A lot of my seminary classes were online. But in 2006, I went to campus for the first time, and Becky had a lot of fear.
Rebecca:And Rebecca, every time I heard someone call me Rebecca, it reminded me that I was a new creation. And I would hear that and remember, right, you know, that I am a new creation. God is with me. He will uphold me with his righteous right hand. And this little congregation, they made it happen.
Rebecca:They called me nothing but Rebecca. And I actually became Rebecca. And I have been Rebecca for 20 years. Every once in a while, someone will call me Becky, but I know that they they haven't known me for a while.
T.J.:Okay.
Rebecca:You know, when I if I go back to Greenville, where I grew up, then, I do hear that. But but I am Rebecca now. And as an aside, that this little congregation made that happen. They made it happen. And interestingly, we were listening.
Rebecca:My husband and I were listening some years ago to a tape of our wedding. We didn't have a video that that was just coming in at that time. But I did weep when I when I heard that, Rick married Rebecca. We had used our official names, and so it just made me weep. I've just grown into it.
Rebecca:It took me a while to grow into it, but that body, they were definitely a part of that transformation.
T.J.:What is happening in your faith journey as you are transitioning from Becky to Rebecca? You're finishing up your schooling, and you're experiencing and living into the calling of ministry for you. What are you feeling? What what is what is changing beyond just your name?
Rebecca:Well, I hope I hope I was.
T.J.:I know it's a tough question, and take your time. Think about it.
Rebecca:Well, I hope I hope that I was. But about that time, about when I graduated, there were some very, sad circumstances for that small church. Mhmm. And I was seeking ordination in this other denomination. I haven't even made it to to CP yet, but I was seeking ordination in another denomination.
Rebecca:And and and that door was it was not opening easily. And I also was fairly tired because I had had been in seminary. And as you know, it's it's intense sometimes, and I was I was tired. And I didn't it just that door to to, ordained ministry was not opening. And I actually thought that, you know, my, you know, my dream was over.
Rebecca:That that was just I don't know. That that dream, it was over. And I stopped actually. I stopped seeking ordination there. It was just like, okay, I'm done.
Rebecca:I'm really tired. But I do want to encourage anyone who might be listening if if you have a dream. I just read this from Rick Warren. And he writes, God typically takes your dream through 6 different stages. I've seen him do it countless times in my own life in the lives of others.
Rebecca:And these are the stages that he listed. God gives you a dream, you decide to go after the dream. Step 3, your dream is delayed. Stage step 4, your dream encounters difficulties. Step 5, your dream hits a dead end.
Rebecca:And that's actually what happened. But step 6, God delivers your dream. Mhmm. So it was really you know, it kinda hit a dead end. Graduated, very, sad circumstances concerning this smaller body, and, my dream was over.
Rebecca:And it wasn't long until I I would say the Lord led me to a Cumberland Presbyterian Church in in through music. Through music, actually.
T.J.:You have, the gift of music, and, let's stop there for a minute and and talk about so you're able to, you you correct me where I'm wrong. So you're able to play the piano, but can you play the organ as well, and are there other instruments?
Rebecca:I play the organ a a little.
T.J.:Okay.
Rebecca:I I can I can play my instrument of choice is piano? Yeah.
T.J.:Alright. So you have this gift of being able to play the piano. How does that tie into a Cumberland Presbyterian Church?
Rebecca:Well, this particular Cumberland Presbyterian Church, a friend of mine went there, and my dream had hit a dead end.
T.J.:Mhmm.
Rebecca:And, she said, hey. Our our church is looking for a substitute pianist.
T.J.:Which congregation
Rebecca:How was
T.J.:it? Which congregation is this? Are you you ready
Rebecca:to tell? It was at, it was at Loudoun Loudoun. And I, looked them up on the Internet, and I actually fell in love with their building and the church. I mean, the building is a beautiful white building. It has a little window of a circle a circular window, and it's stained glass.
Rebecca:It's a very pretty church. I fell in love with it on the Internet, which I know that had to be gone. Who who does that? You know? But I went out there and I was gonna be a substitute pianist and there were all these people there.
Rebecca:And they they asked me if I would take the pianist position, which I said I would not because I just graduated from seminary. And, I mean, I I could have done that before I graduated. But they asked me if I would help them out, through Christmas. And I I said I would do that. And, actually, I helped him out for at least 7 more years.
Rebecca:But but, That's
T.J.:that's quite a stint for volunteering.
Rebecca:Well well, this this had a little pay to it, but they had and the timing of this, you know, God's timing is so perfect, but they had a presbytery meeting that was coming to their church Mhmm. That weekend when I said I would help them out. So I did, tell them that if they wanted me to play because that's a big deal when presbytery meets at your church. If they wanted me to play, I would I would help them out for this
T.J.:Mhmm.
Rebecca:Presbytery.
T.J.:Did you understand the the concept of Presbytery business meeting and
Rebecca:Yes. Okay. Because, I was in another Presbyterian denomination before. And actually, I told God I wasn't gonna attend any more Presbyterian meetings ever because of of of that door closing for my ordination. It was just like, okay.
Rebecca:I'm done with that. Well, so we go to this presbytery meeting, and I'm just gonna stay there and I'm gonna play the music, and then I'm leaving, of course. And, and it was the church was very, very full. So we I played. It was great.
Rebecca:Singing was very, very good. I was on the front row because I was playing the piano. Mhmm. And what happened at this Presbyterian meeting, at this particular Presbyterian meeting, which I this is so God, is a woman was ordained in that meeting. And I told God that He was just showing off.
Rebecca:He was showing off. That that still hadn't convinced me. But it was very it was very significant, and I was greeted with much warmth there and a love.
T.J.:Now let me interrupt you. You are the first person I know. That doesn't mean there isn't others out there that was drawn to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church through its Presbyterian meeting, through its business meeting. Usually it's quite the opposite of that. It's like, I don't need any more meetings in my life, but God probably does work in mysterious ways.
T.J.:And this would be one of those situations.
Rebecca:I I would say that, the people the the actual building and the people of that church were the big draw. And then God kinda shows up in the presbytery meeting in a in a a profound way to me. That, you know, where I've been based on where I've been. Mhmm. And, it was soon after that that, I was asked to attend a Sunday school class and I'm like, what are you all studying?
Rebecca:And they said, well, we're studying our confession of faith. And so I was like, well, that sounds like something I might wanna know. And and it was perfect. I have found the Cumberland Presbyterian Church to be a very good fit for me and my theology, and, very, very thankful. I mean, the Lord led me there because I didn't know much about the CP church.
Rebecca:And and, actually, I became ordained there in 2014 and served as their associate minister for music and and and very much enjoyed it. And and that was the stage 6, God delivered my dream. And I I didn't know it would, I I had no idea that it would come to fruition.
T.J.:Another stone of remembrance.
Rebecca:Yes.
T.J.:Yeah.
Rebecca:Yes. Yes. I have I have like I say, I have I have several of those, that helped me remember. I do believe that God calls us to remember. Mhmm.
Rebecca:Of course, the communion table says remember remember, you know, on it. But he calls us to remember. He knows us. He knows us, because we are not sometimes good at that. And I feel like that he wants us to remember his faithfulness, and he and he really just wants us to remember.
Rebecca:And so, you know, just doing this podcast is is a joy. It's it's it's helping me remember, his his faithfulness.
T.J.:Rebecca, as as someone who has been very close to God and has experienced maybe closed doors and then dead ends and then closeness again, and affirmations. For somebody who is wondering about the very existence of God and even having a relationship with them, what words would you share? What expressions would you use in letting another person know that God is present in the world today?
Rebecca:I would I would, tell them that he is very real. He is love. He is full of love. And I I guess I would tell him the good news that, you know, that that he has paid the penalty for our sin on the cross, but he has risen. And we serve a living savior And that he is able and he is able and he lose people.
Rebecca:And I think when people start asking questions, you know, God is Aslan, Aslan is on the move. I would say that begin the journey. He'll hold you.
T.J.:And I I think we, as disciples of Christ, play a role in that as well, to be able to journey with others and with that person as well. So so folks don't embark on a spiritual quest, or they have someone that they can throw questions at and doubts and Yes. And be able to know that it's okay to have the doubt and the questions and moving along in a relationship. And when you begin a new relationship, there's all kinds of questions.
Rebecca:Yes. I think that, I would, try to be authentic. I think authenticity is actually missing from the church.
T.J.:Yeah.
Rebecca:And I think that God works through authenticity. So I would I would want to be authentic. And, you know, personally personally, this is kind of one of my prayers, I always is to be fat. That meaning faithful, available, and teachable, I think that we as believers, we our desire to be teachable, because well, all of that. Faithful, available, and teachable.
Rebecca:And I hope I would be faithful, available, and teachable by anyone who is coming to me with any of these questions.
T.J.:Alright. You have me laughing here because it's quite the opposite of you've given me a new meaning towards fat. It just seems like a a word that society, that we tend to run away with or or definitely look down on. And here you are, Rebecca, going, no, I wanna become fat.
Rebecca:Faithful.
T.J.:Faithful.
Rebecca:Faithful. Available.
T.J.:Available. And teachable. And teachable.
Rebecca:All 3 of this together.
T.J.:Did you come up with that on your own? I hadn't heard it before.
Rebecca:No. I didn't. I've I have heard it before, but I'm not sure where. But, I have heard it before.
T.J.:Alright. Well, thank you for sharing.
Rebecca:No. I did have a scripture I wanna share. Maybe it's we're probably winding down.
T.J.:Oh, please go ahead.
Rebecca:But for anyone who is listening, who is really has a dream in their heart, fall following God in their heart with their heart, I wanna share this scripture. Because in some point of my overwhelmingness of seminary and other things of life, I asked God if he would send me a note. I I had just sent someone a note of encouragement, and I just said, lord, I need someone to send me a note. Please, I need a note. I need some words of encouragement.
Rebecca:Well, I didn't know that that he would send one. And I felt like I got the note, from him at my kitchen table, and it comes from Hebrews 1035 through 39. And this is what it says. Therefore, do not throw away your confidence. It will be richly rewarded.
Rebecca:You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised. For in just a little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay. And but my righteous one will live by faith, and I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back. But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.
T.J.:Interesting. So That's good.
Rebecca:That was my note of encouragement that is available to everybody in Hebrews 1035 to 39.
T.J.:Rebecca, we've talked quite a bit about where your faith has led you up to today. So before we close our conversation, what are you doing today in terms of ministry? And the second half of that question is is where is your faith journey taking you next?
Rebecca:Well, you have some good questions, TJ. Well, we've been through this pandemic, which has been hard. It's been hard.
T.J.:Mhmm.
Rebecca:You know, when you're kind of been living for 2 years and you're not sure you wanna be around anybody, it's a different place. But I've been I've had a little spark recently, and in reading this book, it's called Transforming Prayer by Daniel Henderson. The subtitle, How Everything Changes When You Seek God's Face. And it has sparked a little renewal in me after this pandemic. Right now, I'm involved in in, teaching this at my church, and we have quite a few people involved in it, which I'm really excited about.
Rebecca:Okay. And it is it is about transforming prayer, learning to speak the face of God as well as his hand. And and, it's it's really that's how the Bible that's how the Lord's prayer is structured. You have worship and request, you know, and this is kinda what this book talks about. I'm also involved in the music at at, Nossel First, which which is which is really, really good.
Rebecca:And I I do I speak. I preach as invited.
T.J.:Okay.
Rebecca:I know when the pastor's gone at discharge, I I preach and and I have, got a preaching opportunity in Greenville, and I got a preaching opportunity in North Carolina. So I I preach when that door opens.
T.J.:Alright.
Rebecca:Alright. Where do you think is just a great a miracle of, I had a picture taken on Easter Sunday of me in a I was I was preaching, so I had my robe on. And I was holding my 2 granddaughters or 2 of my granddaughters. And that picture to me is was evidence of God's faithfulness because I I didn't have that picture 20 years ago. I didn't know if it would ever happen.
Rebecca:So God is faithful. Persevere.
T.J.:Absolutely. Yeah. This, 2022 is an anniversary year, another stone of remembrance in in your life, Rebecca.
Rebecca:I guess so.
T.J.:If, folks wanted to reach out to you and be a part of your faith journey moving into this year and in in to the the coming years, where would you like to point people to?
Rebecca:Well, I'm I'm, I don't use social media that much.
T.J.:Good for you.
Rebecca:Well, I well, I do have a Facebook again. Facebook page, but I I would, hey, give me a call. I'd I'd love to talk to you.
T.J.:Alright. And and folks can find you at the, Knoxville First Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and you share your gifts of music and ministry there as well as other places as needed.
Rebecca:Yes.
T.J.:Rebecca, it's been a privilege to get to know you better, and to hear your faith journey today. Thank you for sharing it.
Rebecca:Thank you, TJ. I appreciate the opportunity, and I appreciate you helping me to remember God's faithfulness.
T.J.:And thank you for teaching me new acronyms, like f a t, stones of remembrance, Stephen Curtis Chapman lyrics, and, being able to hear hear God working through you and the the opportunity, the ability to share it with others is quite a privilege. And thank you, Rebecca.
Rebecca:Thank you.
T.J.:And thank you for listening to today's podcast. Grab a friend and travel with me on the next journey down Cumberland Road.
