A Favorite Sermon

"The Sermon of the Peasle Tree"

"Brother'n and sister'n, I's been so took up wid de pastoral duties heah

'mongst de flock and gleanin' in de vineyard of de Lawd, dat I ain't had

time to pre-pare a right theologic sermon wid which to hold foth on to you

today. Derefore, I's jus gwan let de Good Book drap open and wheresoever my

eyes does fall, we'll know dat de Lawd has guided me to dat text fo my

sermon dis Sabbath mornin'.

"And de book has drap open to Two Eye Kings ... and it says dere . 'And,

Moses worshipped De Lawd wid de harp and wid de instument ob seven strings

and wid de .uh . p s a l t r y.' Now, we sees heah dat Moses worshipped De

Lawd wid de harp and wid de instument ob seven strings and wid de . uh .

psal - try . de Peasle Tree! So, my sermon to y'all today is bout de

Peasle Tree!

"Now Moses, he lib on de plantation ob Mr. Pharaoh, down in de Land ob

Egypt, and de Peasle Tree were a tree dat grow up out back ob Moses' house.

One day, de Lawd tell Moses dat He's ready fo Moses to go into Egypt and

save de Chillen of Israel from the wicked Pharaoh. So Moses, he go out to

de Peasle Tree and he finds him a nice straight branch and cuts dat branch

from de Peasle Tree and make him a staff. He take de Peasle Tree staff and

he go walk up de road, to de big house of Mr. Pharaoh.

"Now, Mr. Pharaoh, he lived in a mighty big house . cause he was quality

white folks in dem parts, in dem days. Moses, he walk right up to de big

front door of Mr. Pharaoh's house and he retch up and grab de big brass

knocker and knock on de door. Mr. Pharaoh's houseboy, he come to de door

and says, 'Moses . what you want?' Moses, he say, 'I wants to see Mr.

Pharaoh!'

"De li'l houseboy say, 'Moses! You can' see Mr. Pharaoh! He can' come to

de door now ... it's too early in de morning. He ain't up yet dis morning!'

Moses jus' say, 'You go tell Pharaoh I's here to see him!' De houseboy say,

'Okay, but Mr. Pharaoh ain't gwan be very happy.' Moses say, 'You go tell

him I's here!'

"After a while, Mr. Pharaoh come to de door and say, 'Moses, what you doin'

here? It's still early and I ain't had my brea'fast dis mornin'. Why, I

ain't eben had my mint julep yet! What you want heah?' Moses say,

'Pharaoh, I wants you to let de Chillen of Israel go!'

"Pharaoh say, 'What? What you mean, let de Chillen of Israel go?' Moses

say, 'De Lord done tol' me to tell you to let de Chillen of Israel go.'

Pharaoh say, 'I can' let dem chillen go! Dey has all dere work to do. Why,

de crops need hoein', de cotton needs pickin', de corn needs huskin' . ain't

no way dey can go nowhere! And, didn' I jus' gib 'em Abraham Lincoln

birfday and George Washington's birfday and de Fout' ob July off? Ain't no

way I can gib dem chillen ob yoah'n no more time off!'

"Moses, he don't say nuthin' ... he jus put de Peasle Tree staff down on de

ground, say de magic words tree times, de wind whistle thru de branches ob

de Peasle Tree from East to West and rustle de leaves of de Peasle Tree .

and de Peasle Tree staff turns into a fiery serpent! But, Moses, he

tweren't afeared . he jus retch down and grab aholt ob de tail ob dat fiery

serpent and swing it round his head tree times, trow it on de ground . and

dat snake change back into de Peasle Tree staff. Next, Moses take water be

brung from de river and pour it on de ground and de water turned into blood.

"Pharaoh says, 'Now listen heah Moses, whilst we been talkin' I's been

thinkin' . and dem chillen ob yoah'n does make mighty poor field hands, and

dey is lazy and it costs a lot fo me to feed 'em. I tell you what I'm gonna

do . I'm gonna let 'em go!'

"Moses leave, carryin' de Peasle Tree staff and he go down to de fields and

tell de fo'man, 'Call in all de field hands. Have 'em load up all dere

tings. Den have 'em go and dig up de Peasle Tree . and load it on dat

Studebaker wagon. Hitch up a team of dem Missouri mules to de wagon . and

tie bells and red, white and blue tassels from de mules' hames. We's

leaving de land of Egypt, goin' to de Promised Land'

"And, it was recorded dat de Chillen of Israel marched out of Egypt, wid

high heads and big grins, headed fo de Promised Land. Moses, he led de

procession, marching at de front, and right behind him was de Peasle Tree on

de wagon, wid red and white and blue ribbons tied to de limbs . and a New

Nited States flag flying from de topmost branch!

"When dey reached de Red Sea, de Chillen of Israel went up to Moses and

says, 'Moses! What we gwan do? De sea is wide and de sea is deep . and

dere ain't no ferry and dere ain't no ford! How we gwan get 'cross?' Moses

says, 'Ain't no reason for y'all to fret none ... de Lawd and de Peasle Tree

will get us 'cross.' And Moses says de magic words, and de wind whistle

thru de branches ob de Peasle Tree from East to West and rustle de leaves ob

de Peasle Tree, and de Red Sea opens up . and all de Chillen of Israel

crosses on dry foots!

"And, when de Chillen of Israel gets to de t'other side, dey looks back

cross and what did dey see but de whole host of Pharaoh's armies acommin'

after 'em. And, de Chillen of Israel was sore afeared and dey turns to

Moses and says, 'Moses . what we gwan do? Pharaoh's army is gonna slay us

all!'

"And, Moses says, 'Don' worry, de Lawd and de Peasle Tree gwan save us.'

And Moses says de magic words, and de wind whistle thru de branches ob de

Peasle Tree from West to East and rustle de leaves ob de Peasle Tree, and de

Red Sea closes up and drowns all ob Pharaoh's armies . and de Chillen of

Israel goes free.

"Now, it is recorded dat de Chillen of Israel wandered in de Wilderness fo

forty days and forty nights. It is said dat de Chillen of Israel was

guided by a pillar ob smoke by day and a pillar of fire by night. T'weren't

no pillar of smoke ... it was jus de shade from de Peasle Tree. And, it

t'wadn't no pillar of fire ... it was jus de moon shinin' on de leaves of de

Peasle Tree.

"One day, de Chillen of Israel goes to Moses and says, 'Moses! We ain't got

nuthin' to eat! We's hongry!' And Moses, says, 'What you mean, you hongry?

You's got de Peasle Tree -- jus' go out deah and pick you some peasles!'

And, my brother'n and sister'n, it is recorded that de Chillen of Israel

picked forty bushel baskets ob peasles!

"So . verily, verily I say unto you, on dat last great day, when de ol' worl'

gets wropped up like a newspaper and tossed on de fiery flames . and de

sheeps is gathered on de right and de goats is gathered on de left . if you

wants to be on de right and not spend fo'eber in de fires ob Hell . I say

unto you . you better have you a right smart pack ob peasle leaves in yoah

pocket!

"Amen!"