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A Gathering at the Chowan

Shall we gather at the river,
Where bright angel feet have trod,
With its crystal tide forever
Flowing by the throne of God?

Yes, we’ll gather at the river,
The beautiful, the beautiful river;
Gather with the saints at the river
That flows by the throne of God.

On the margin of the river,
Washing up its silver spray,
We will talk and worship ever,
All the happy golden day.

Ere we reach the shining river,
Lay we every burden down;
Grace our spirits will deliver,
And provide a robe and crown.

At the smiling of the river,
Mirror of the Savior’s face,
Saints, whom death will never sever,
Lift their songs of saving grace.

Soon we’ll reach the silver river,
Soon our pilgrimage will cease;
Soon our happy hearts will quiver
With the melody of peace.

Reverend Al Jarel prepares. Afterwards,
he took a brief swim. I would have also,
but there was a swimming pool in
Winton waiting for my family and me.

It was forty years ago that Reverend Stanley P. Petteway lowered me, along with David Malloy, Wendell Hall, Victor Hall and others, into the Chowan. It changed me. While I have not held to my standard of having been saved, I remain a Baptist, a member of Pleasant Plains Baptist Church, and a captive of the Chowan River and its tributaries. While several more wadings into the river would do me good, frequent immersions might cheapen the meaning. So I’ve asked people to invite me to one.

Caroline Pratt, who teaches quilting at the Senior Center in Winton, told me that her grandchildren, Alyssa and William Pratt, at their request, would be baptized at Sheep Landing in Merry Hill. They are growing up on the shores of the Chowan. Their mother, Sherry, like most folks these days, gave her life to Christ in the font of Riverside Baptist in Merry Hill.

William Powell, remains with his sister, Alyssa, for her turn.

I remember when the movie King of Kings played at the Richard Theatre in Ahoskie. Jeffrey Hunter, in the role of Jesus, was baptized by his cousin, John the Baptist, on a sunny day in a river. I am also reminded of when my own church installed a baptistry around 1970 after its access to Chowan Beach declined. I’m glad to see children lead us back to our roots.

Just as I remember from my childhood days, family and friends met at the shore on the same kind of sunny Saturday morning. This day, dogs pranced and swam beforehand, refreshments and snacks were set up on the shaded picnic table, Caroline introduced my family and me, Riverside’s Reverend Al Jarel led us to the Chowan’s edge, Alyssa and William gave their life to Christ and we were all blessed.

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