JIM “PAPPY” MOORE: When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder

Most of y’all know my Daddy was a preacher his entire adult life, which was about twenty-five years. The good they do die young and he went at age 45. I was 22 and have missed him ever since.

Sunday morning church service meant Bible Study classes first, followed by a short break, followed by the main service with Daddy’s sermon, ending with communion and the collection plate being passed, and a closing prayer.

After church everyone would head home and most would have Sunday Dinner as we called it back then, right at 12 noon. It was the big meal of the day at the Moore house. Mama and Daddy would put a roast on to cook, with taters, carrots and gravy in the mix. We’d come home to a house filled with the wonderful smell of that dinner ready to be eaten. Mama would pop some rolls into the hot oven and have a bunch of hot rolls ready to go as we all sat down to eat.

Daddy would say the prayer as we all bowed our heads, just like we did for every meal, giving thanks to the Lord. Then we would all start getting our fill of roast beef, potatoes, carrots, gravy, and rolls. What a divine meal, and it never got old. Never, and we ate it every week, 52 weeks a year, for always. Talk would commence and Daddy might have some post sermon comments. He gave general lessons, not aimed at anyone, but he always thought there were some who might think “the preacher is preaching about me!”

Daddy would always recall what his mama would say as they were growing up with a house full of kids and mischief about with four boys: “the guilty chicken cackles the loudest!” My Granny Moore was smart like that.

We would never discuss who might be thinking he was preaching to them, as that would not have been nice. Daddy never once said he was doing that. No, he preached messages the Lord wanted taught, be they from the Old Testament or the New Testament. He did favor the quotes of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, with frequent additions from the Apostle Paul, who was Daddy’s favorite apostle.

When he passed away we honored him with Paul’s famous quote: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, and not to me only but to all who love his appearing.” He was every bit of that, every day, week in and week out. He served the Lord to his dying breath September 5, 1971.

But let’s talk about the song which is the title for today’s column. From my earliest years I sang church songs with all the gusto you would imagine I would. I sang every word and every word meant praise Jesus to me. Now this particular song threw me a curve ball, however. I had no idea what the “roll” was the song was talking about. I’d never heard the word used to describe a list. I had heard of it used to describe those delicious, hot Sunday dinner rolls I dipped in gravy and ate with great joy. So naturally, when I was preschool in my little boy mind I envisioned those dinner rolls rolling across the sky, among billowing white clouds, as the “roll was called up yonder!”

I don’t remember when I learned what the actual “roll” meant in the song, but it never quite replaced my little boy’s vision of those tasty rolls flying through the clouds!

AMEN.