DISCOVERING THE GIFT OF FORGIVENESS

Conversation at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and Lunch at Oscars At the Museum in Birmingham, Alabama                                                                    

 Featuring Special Guest:  Carolyn Maull McKinstry

Imagine being in church one autumn Sunday morning.  It is Youth Sunday.  You and your friends are anxiously awaiting the 11 AM worship time.  Four of your friends pause at the girl’s restroom on the first floor.  You climb the stairs towards the sanctuary.  The telephone rings and you step into the church office to answer it.  “Three minutes,” a male voice says.  Click.  The caller hangs up.  As you pass through the sanctuary you simultaneously feel and hear the rumble of thunder.  The building vibrates.  September 15, 1963.  10:22 AM.  16th Street Baptist Church.  Birmingham, Alabama. Your world has just changed. For a young Carolyn Maull McKinstry, there were a lot of ways her story could have  gone.  When Carolyn graciously joined me at “the table,” I was awed to hear where God’s love has brought her thus far.  And He is sending her still.  If forgiveness has ever been an issue for you, today’s table holds a gift with your name on it.  For this is not just a table; this is a banquet.  Take your place and be blessed.