ARTICLE TO BE PUBLISHED IN SISTERS IN THE LORD MAGAZINE
Odes to the Small Church: Poems about Special Sacred People and Places
by Sharina Smith
Lead-in: Irvin L. Rozier writes about what he knows, and he especially knows about small country churches from his many years of service as a member and as a bi-vocational preacher.
“Service” is one word that would sum up Irvin L. Rozier’s life so far. Irvin is retired from military service after 21 years of active and reserve duties in the U.S. Army, where he held the ranks of private, non-commissioned, warrant and commissioned officers. Irvin is still serving as a soldier, but now he is only on the active duty list for God's Army.
“For almost 17 years, I have preached at a nursing home on Sunday mornings,” Irvin said. “We have around 30 attending, and they are very attentive.” Irvin said he has written a story, "The Nursing Home Ministry,” which came out of his experiences there.
Irvin’s service to God has included his preaching “at churches, street corners, nursing homes, radio, and other places.” Irvin said, “I have attended a fairly small (about 175 members) Baptist church where I taught Sunday School for a few years. I have also been an associate pastor at a small United Methodist church for four years (Martha Memorial...the poem I wrote). I go to my brother-in-law's church, too (Ward Memorial, the other poem I wrote). Small churches are like one big family, and much support and love is shown.”
Family is also an arena where Irvin has been called to serve. As a single parent, he has raised two daughters and a son. The proud father has written stories about all of them, too:
“Most of the things I write about are true. Eva is my baby girl. She's 25 now, but still my baby. Everything I wrote in the story about her [“Eva”] is true. I also wrote about my oldest daughter (story entitled "Joy" and my son, story entitled "Joel"). Eva [recently] celebrated her one year wedding anniversary. She works as a nurse and is going to college to further her nursing education. She is a sweet, compassionate young woman, and also sings. You ought to hear her sing Amazing Grace or Poor Wayfaring Stranger.”
“Eva's mom left us in 1986 and we were divorced (I didn't want one, yet I had no control over it…you can't make someone love you). I remarried in 1999. It didn't work out, she moved to another state in 2003, so I am currently separated).”
Although Irvin’s Army service has taken him all over the world, he is now happily back home close to his roots in the country: “I was raised in the country. My small hometown of 3,000 was only about two miles away. I have always liked the country, the peace and solitude is refreshing. While in the Army, I lived several places including some fairly large cities. Columbia, SC, Leavenworth, KS, Ft Rucker, AL (south AL near Dothan), Augsburg, Germany, Indianapolis, IN, Anniston, AL (North AL about 60 miles from Birmingham and 100 from Atlanta, Ga, Wahiawa, Hawaii (only 25 miles from Honolulu). back to Ft Rucker, Ft Stewart, GA, near Savannah, Small country type towns are friendly, and neighbors are kind. Traffic is not bad, either.”
The U.S. Army gets the credit for some of Irvin’s first training as a writer. “When I was a soldier, I worked in personnel and wrote all the time...Army regulations, information papers, decision papers, staff papers, award citations, performance reports, etc. This helped me develop my writing skills. I have also loved to read all my life. This helps, too.”
Now the Lord gets all the glory as Irvin’s muse: “I write as inspired by the Lord.”
Irvin L. Rozier, aka walkin2e
by Sharina Smith
Lead-in: Irvin L. Rozier writes about what he knows, and he especially knows about small country churches from his many years of service as a member and as a bi-vocational preacher.
“Service” is one word that would sum up Irvin L. Rozier’s life so far. Irvin is retired from military service after 21 years of active and reserve duties in the U.S. Army, where he held the ranks of private, non-commissioned, warrant and commissioned officers. Irvin is still serving as a soldier, but now he is only on the active duty list for God's Army.
“For almost 17 years, I have preached at a nursing home on Sunday mornings,” Irvin said. “We have around 30 attending, and they are very attentive.” Irvin said he has written a story, "The Nursing Home Ministry,” which came out of his experiences there.
Irvin’s service to God has included his preaching “at churches, street corners, nursing homes, radio, and other places.” Irvin said, “I have attended a fairly small (about 175 members) Baptist church where I taught Sunday School for a few years. I have also been an associate pastor at a small United Methodist church for four years (Martha Memorial...the poem I wrote). I go to my brother-in-law's church, too (Ward Memorial, the other poem I wrote). Small churches are like one big family, and much support and love is shown.”
Family is also an arena where Irvin has been called to serve. As a single parent, he has raised two daughters and a son. The proud father has written stories about all of them, too:
“Most of the things I write about are true. Eva is my baby girl. She's 25 now, but still my baby. Everything I wrote in the story about her [“Eva”] is true. I also wrote about my oldest daughter (story entitled "Joy" and my son, story entitled "Joel"). Eva [recently] celebrated her one year wedding anniversary. She works as a nurse and is going to college to further her nursing education. She is a sweet, compassionate young woman, and also sings. You ought to hear her sing Amazing Grace or Poor Wayfaring Stranger.”
“Eva's mom left us in 1986 and we were divorced (I didn't want one, yet I had no control over it…you can't make someone love you). I remarried in 1999. It didn't work out, she moved to another state in 2003, so I am currently separated).”
Although Irvin’s Army service has taken him all over the world, he is now happily back home close to his roots in the country: “I was raised in the country. My small hometown of 3,000 was only about two miles away. I have always liked the country, the peace and solitude is refreshing. While in the Army, I lived several places including some fairly large cities. Columbia, SC, Leavenworth, KS, Ft Rucker, AL (south AL near Dothan), Augsburg, Germany, Indianapolis, IN, Anniston, AL (North AL about 60 miles from Birmingham and 100 from Atlanta, Ga, Wahiawa, Hawaii (only 25 miles from Honolulu). back to Ft Rucker, Ft Stewart, GA, near Savannah, Small country type towns are friendly, and neighbors are kind. Traffic is not bad, either.”
The U.S. Army gets the credit for some of Irvin’s first training as a writer. “When I was a soldier, I worked in personnel and wrote all the time...Army regulations, information papers, decision papers, staff papers, award citations, performance reports, etc. This helped me develop my writing skills. I have also loved to read all my life. This helps, too.”
Now the Lord gets all the glory as Irvin’s muse: “I write as inspired by the Lord.”
Irvin L. Rozier, aka walkin2e
posted by walkin2e @ 10:09 AM
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