herald - Carolina Weekly Newspapers

Nothing’s betterthan great thoughtsI love great thoughts. What I mean by “great thoughts” arethoughts that stimulate new thoughts in my own brain. Orthoughts that arouse moral actions in me. Or thoughts thatcause me to look at big issues differently than I did in the past.I don’t think of great thoughts as necessarily true thoughts.Maybe most great thoughts are truths but I’m especially drawnto thoughts that stimulate reflection and raise challengingquestions. Here are some great thoughts that you may findchallenging as I do.“Faith is under the left nipple.” Martin Luther said that. Hewas anything but anti-intellectual. And heSOUTHERN FRIEDPREACHERHAROLDBALESwas certainly not dismissive of rationality.But he recognized the role of the heart inmatters of religious practice. Rationalityis something I wish our world had moreof these days. But the heart knows betterwhat the mind struggles to understand.Speaking of rationality, Epictitus in thesecond century said, “If I were a nightingale,I would sing like a nightingale; if aswan, like a swan. But since I am a rationalcreature, my role is to praise God.”Napoleon once said that one cannotbecome an atheist merely by wishing it.That is a great thought. I don’t know ifit is true or not. But it does provoke oneto think hard and long about it. When I was a pastor of a verylarge congregation once, I had a Sunday School class called“The Philosophy Class.” It came into existence long before Ibecame minister at the church so don’t bug me about the name.It was a huge class. Some members of the class were membersat other churches but they were also in this class.I admit that this kind of freewheeling group would not bewelcome in many churches. The class was a forum for ideasand great thoughts. Most participants were skeptics aboutreligion, at least to a certain extent. But they were seekers ofknowledge. Their meeting room was decorated with picturesof great philosophers as well as figures from the Bible. Theirgatherings were filled with debates about big issues of life. Noidea was off limits. I loved the class for its openness and honesty.It was stimulating in the extreme.And sometimes I observed what I took to be persons strugglingto be atheists. But they generally failed at that becausedespite their best efforts to the contrary, they had a hard timeavoiding behaving like Jesus. They couldn’t help themselvesbecause they were so extravagantly loving, generous and gracious.“It is very dangerous to go into eternity with possibilitieswhich one has oneself prevented from becoming realities. Apossibility is a hint from God.” Soren Kierkegaard offered thatgreat thought. It is a favorite of mine. We preachers speak ofourselves as having responded to the “call” of God to becomeministers. For many of us that calling came as if it were ablow to the forehead with a two by four. That is what it tookto get our attention. But I am more intrigued by those whoare able to tune in to the “hints” of God. Those are the peoplewho grasp the possibilities for their lives and live into them.They are the people who have dreams and visions of what theymight do for God’s sake. They are those who study and practice,work and create. They are teachers and farmers, mechanicsand engineers, builders and bankers. They are healers andhomemakers, fire fighters and police officers. They are singersof songs and makers of poems. Everyone lives in a thick soupof possibilities. And God watches to see who among us willtake the hints to heart.Share your great thoughts with Herald columnist HaroldBales at hkbales@bellsouth.net.FAITH/OBITUARIESObituaries/From page 38Henry Cochran, children KimberlyHowland Meyer and husband David ofCulver City, Calif., William Howland Jr.and wife Amy of Harrisburg, Andrew U.Howland and wife Lori of Charlotte, andScott N. Birckhead and wife Debbieof Huntersville; stepsons Peter D.Birckhead of Houston, Texas, and GeorgeD. Cochran and wife Elizabeth of EastGreenwich, R.I.; stepdaughters Cathy B.Pacak of Gettysburg, Penn., and Amy G.Cochran and husband Matthew Snyder ofStonington, Conn.; and 15 grandchildren.She was preceded in death by her sister,Joan Kerr Eichner.A memorial service was held onSunday, Sept.14, at St. Albans EpiscopalChurch in Davidson. In lieu of flowers,contributions may be made to IRMCFoundation (indicate gift is for the CancerCenter), 1000 36th Street, Vero Beach,Fla., 32960. Raymer Funeral Home ofHuntersville is serving the family.Abner WilkinsMr. Wilkins, 68 of Maiden diedTuesday, Sept. 9. Survivors are his wifeMarylyn; sons Jeffery and Brian; anddaughter, Jenny.A funeral service was held Saturday,Sept. 13, at Cornelius PresbyterianChurch. Burial followed at NorthlakeMemorial Gardens. The family requestsmemorials to be made to CorneliusPresbyterian Church Manse Fund P.O.Box 279, Cornelius, N.C. 28031. RaymerFuneral Home of Huntersville is servingthe family.Doris Dorton McConnellMrs. McConnell, 77, of Cornelius, diedTuesday, Sept. 9, at Carolinas MedicalCenter. She was born April 11, 1931, inMooresville to the late Marion Grady andLois Long Dorton. She was a member ofMt. Zion United Methodist Church and agraduate of Cornelius High School.She is survived by her husbandJoel; sons David and wife Tammy ofClemmons, and Danny and wife Kay ofAugusta, Ga.; daughters Vickie Zettl andhusband Matt of Morehead City, andLinda Leatherman and husband Dave ofCharlotte; sister Myrtle Price of Cary, fivegrandchildren; and four great grandchildren.A funeral service was held ThursdaySept. 11, in the Chapel at RaymerFuneral Home with the Rev. Mike Baileyofficiating. Memorials may be made toMt. Zion United Methodist Church 19600Zion St., Cornelius, NC 28031. RaymerFuneral Home of Huntersville is servingthe family. Raymer Funeral Home ofHuntersville, NC is serving the family.James F. EllisMr. Ellis, 63, of Huntersville, diedWednesday, Sept. 10. He was a retiredfireman was known in the community as“The Christmas Tree Man.” He is survivedby his wife JoAnn; sons Michael, Thomasand Chris and their wives; seven grandchildren;and brother Bob Ellis and wife ofMatthews.A funeral service was held Sunday,Sept. 14, in the chapel of Raymer FuneralHome. Burial followed at HuntersvillePresbyterian Church cemetery. In lieuof flowers, donations may be made toHospice of Iredell County, PO Box 822,Statesville, NC 28677. Raymer FuneralHome of Huntersville is serving the family.Larry Boyd DrakeMr. Drake, 70, of Columbia, S.C., formerlyof Charlotte, died Wednesday, Sept. 10, atPiedmont Medical Center. He was born on Oct.5, 1937, in Charlotte to Frank L. Drake and thelate Sarah A. Drake.He is survived by his sons Burleigh ofColumbia and James and wife Natalie ofColumbia; daughters Tanya Robinson andhusband Barry of Charlotte, Rhonda Rigginsof Missouri, Kimberly Kennedy and husbandLarry of Garden City, S.C., and Sanya Kaiserand husband John of Gilbert, S.C.; brother Jerryand wife Ann of Charlotte; sister Linda Fite ofHuntersville; 13 grandchildren; and eight greatgrandchildren.A funeral service was held Saturday, Sept.13, in the chapel of Raymer Funeral Home withthe Rev. Doug Danner officiating. Interment followedat Cooks Memorial Presbyterian ChurchTHE HERALD SEPTEMBER 19, 2008 39cemetery. Memorials may be made to theCooks Memorial Cemetery Fund, 3413 MountHolly Huntersville Road, Charlotte, NC 28216.Raymer Funeral Home of Huntersville is servingthe family.Mary Mancil HillMrs. Hill, 72, of Davidson, died Thursday,Sept. 11. She was born Oct. 2, 1935, inAndalusia, Ala., to the late Claude and PearlMancil. She is survived by daughters BelindaWilkerson and husband Mark, and Leslee Westand husband Craig; son Trey Powell and wifeMandy; sister Betty Sue Phillips; and six grandchildren.In addition to her parents, she is precededin death by her husband, Robert V. Hill.A memorial service was held Monday, Sept.15, in the chapel of Raymer Funeral Homewith Chaplain Kris Kawulok officiating. RaymerFuneral Home of Huntersville is serving thefamily.Town of Cornelius Legal NoticesTown Hall, 21445 Catawba Avenue, Cornelius, NCMonday, October 6, 7:00 PMTown Board Public Hearing & ConsiderationSUB 01-08 Kaneel Bay Subdivision: Request by DeveloperOrchard Trace LLC & Silver Hammer Inc. to develop a 12lot subdivision w/minimum lot sizes of ¾ acre. Zoning:General Residential, LKN Critical Watershed. Location: W.side of Norman Colony Rd., E. side of Walter HendersonRd., N. of Madison Village Subdivision. Acreage: 16.997Davidson-Concord Small Area Plan: Hear public commentson a proposed design that will support developmentopportunities in the Davidson-Concord Road area.Nantz Road Small Area Plan: Hear public comments onillustrative plans designed to support additional commercialopportunities while creating additional access to LakeNorman by all citizens locally and regionally.ANNEX 01-08 WESTMORELAND SUBDIVISION:Voluntary Annexation Petition – WestmorelandCommunities LLC (Developer) – Request voluntary annexationof common area in the Westmoreland Subdivision.Tax Parcel IDs: 00511319, 00511490, 00511580B. Thisproperty is zoned Neighborhood Residential and is locatedwithin the Mtn. Island Lake Protected Watershed Area.ANNEX 02-08 HYDE PARK: Voluntary AnnexationPetition – Legacy Point (Developer) – Request voluntaryannexation of Hyde Park located on Bailey Rd (betweenHwy. 115 and Hwy. 21). Tax Parcel IDs: 00522283,00522207, 00522221, 00522208, 00535105, 00535104,00535103, 00535102, 00535101. This property is zonedIndustrial Campus and is not located within a protectedwatershed.As a result of public hearings, there is a possibility of substantialchanges made to the advertised proposal reflectingobjections and debate, and discussion which tookplace at the public hearing. Copies of proposed developmentplans are available at Cornelius Town Hall. If youhave any questions, contact the Planning Department at704-896-2461. Persons with special needs may contactthe Planning Department to make arrangements to viewdevelopment plans.