A Change of Heart by Thomas C. Oden - EXCERPT

8112019 A Change of Heart by Thomas C Oden - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulla-change-of-heart-by-thomas-c-oden-excerpt 119

A P E R S O N A L A N D

T H E O L O G I C A L M E M O I R

A Change of Heart

Thomas C Oden







InterVarsity Press

PO Box 983089983092983088983088 Downers Grove IL 983094983088983093983089983093-983089983092983090983094

World Wide Web wwwivpresscom

Email emailivpresscom

copy983090983088983089983092 by Tomas C Oden

All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from

InterVarsity Press

InterVarsity Pressreg is the book-publishing division of InterVarsity Christian FellowshipUSAreg a movement of

students and faculty active on campus at hundreds of universities colleges and schools of nursing in the United States

of America and a member movement of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students For information about

local and regional activities write Public Relations Dept InterVarsity Christian FellowshipUSA 983094983092983088983088 Schroeder

Rd PO Box 983095983096983097983093 Madison WI 983093983091983095983088983095-983095983096983097983093 or visit the IVCF website at wwwintervarsityorgCover design Cindy Kiple

Interior design Beth McGill

Images Photo of Tomas Oden InterVarsity Press

ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983092983088983091983093-983097 (print)

ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983096983088983089983097-983093 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

InterVarsity Press is committed to protecting the environment and to the responsible use of naturalresources As a member of Green Press Initiative we use recycled paper whenever possible o learnmore about the Green Press Initiative visit wwwgreenpressinitiativeorg

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Oden Tomas C

A change of heart a personal and theological memoir Tomas C

Oden

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index

ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983092983088983091983093-983097 (pbk alk paper)

983089 Oden Tomas C 983090 United Methodist Church (US)mdashBiography

I itle

BX983096983092983097983093O983091983092A983091 983090983088983089983092

983090983091983088rsquo983095983094983088983097983090--dc983090983091

[B]

983090983088983089983092983088983091983091983091983092983089

P 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092 983089983091 983089983090 983089983089 983089983088 983097 983096 983095 983094 983093 983092 983091 983090 983089

Y 983091983092 983091983091 983091983090 983091983089 983091983088 983090983097 983090983096 983090983095 983090983094 983090983093 983090983092 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions



ContentsPreace 983097

P983137983154983156 983089 E983137983154983148983161 Y983141983137983154983155

983089 he 983089983097983091983088s 983089983091

Prairie Dawn

983090 he 983089983097983092983088s 983090983093

A World at War 983091 he 983089983097983093983088s 983091983097

Love and Learning

983092 he 983089983097983094983088s 983095983093

he Church of Whatrsquos Happening Now

P983137983154983156 1048626 C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156

983093 he 983089983097983095983088s 983089983091983089

he U-urn

983094 he 983089983097983096983088s 983089983095983097

Charting the Course

P983137983154983156 1048627 H983151983149983141983159983137983154983140 B983151983157983150983140

983095 he 983089983097983097983088s 983090983089983097

he Outpouring of Grace

983096 he 983090983088983088983088s 983090983095983097

A ime of Harvest

983097 he 983090983088983089983088s 983091983090983093

After Eight Decades

Acknowledgments 983091983091983093

Writings by homas C Oden 983091983091983095

Notes 983091983092983089Index o Names and Institutions 983091983096983089




Preface

All school work came to a halt when every kid in my third grade class

went out to the cotton fields during harvest time A aded yellow school

bus took us a ew miles out o town to ldquopull bollsrdquo We sang and laughed

at the thought o briefly escaping rom the classroom

I dragged a long white denim sack my grandmother had made or me

It had a harness to loop over my shoulder which allowed me to pull itthrough the long rows o cotton as I stripped the cotton fibers rom their

shell Te barbed husk o the boll was there to protect the sof cotton

fibers I was pulling out Te trick was to get the cotton out without

getting our hands bloody rom the sharp edges o the cotton husks

A single row o cotton was a quarter mile long and took a long time

to work but row afer row we worked as ast as we could We competed

to see how many pounds o cotton we could pull in a single day Ten wedragged those long heavy sacks ull o cotton to one o the Ford Model

trucks where it was weighed and soon taken to the cotton gin An

overseer supervised the weighing and we were paid cash immediately

For a third grader it was the most money I had ever had in my pocket

Tough exhausted I also elt like I had accomplished something big1

Ten there was baseball It was the sweet spot o my lie Maybe it was

because Mickey Mantle and I were born on the same day and year in

Oklahoma but I have always been captivated by the game o baseball

Whenever Mantle and Joe DiMaggio were on the same field my ear was

glued to the radio




10486251048624 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156

I kept up with the St Louis Cardinals when Dizzy Dean was pitching

Enos Slaughter was hitting over 104862710486241048624 and Johnny Mize was breaking

records or home runs I always thought o baseball as the perect game

It contains the exact combination o distances and speeds to make a

competition both air and unpredictable Even today I still love watching

the story o a game unold with all o its maneuvering and strategizing

I was blessed by baseball but more so blessed by a grandmother who

prayed or me every day even though I did not pay much attention to all

o her prayers I always knew that she and God would be there or me In

her own way she led me to believe that sooner or later I would get some

hint rom God about doing something I could do that really needed to

be done She planted seeds o belie in me which let me trust that provi-

dence was at work in my lie and that our ree choices are being en-

couraged by Godrsquos grace




part one

Early Years




1

The 1930s

Prairie Dawn

D983157983155983156 B983151983159983148 B983141983143983145983150983150983145983150983143983155

Jackson County Te flat land made me aware o the big sky From the

top o the water tower you can see or miles My childhood was spent in

a small town in the short grass country o Oklahoma Te town o Altussits in the middle o windy wheat fields and silently grazing cattle

Nearby are ancient granite mountains in the distance that turn purple

in the late evening sun Te Navajo Mountains are about six miles away

to the east and the Quartz Mountains fifeen miles to the north Te

Oklahoma red granite mined there is the oldest and finest anywhere

Beore statehood this was ertile grazing land or nomadic Native

American tribes like the Comanche and Wichita who once roamedthese plains looking or buffalo Finding and collecting arrowheads was

my first venture into the world o discovering that ancient hidden world

I elt the privilege o holding a bit o history in my hand

During the rontier years rom 1048625104863210486301048630 until statehood in 1048625104863310486241048631 six

million Longhorn cattle rambled through our county grazing on prairie

grasses all the way rom Abilene exas to Abilene Kansas on the Old

Western rail Our amily acquired the deed to some property that

touches the slopes o one o the Navajo Mountains where the North

Fork o the Red River meanders south as i it were looking or exas It

became a place or amily retreat natural wonder conservation and




10486251048628 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156

exploration or turtles wildflowers and an occasional porcupine

Altus was as ar rom the centers o power as you could get in

Oklahoma hidden away in the extreme southwestern corner o the state

Te dirt roads in the county were ofen impassable afer the prairie thunder-

storms Afer World War II a ew were asphalted Many nearby towns

that were once thriving have virtually disappeared Only a ew lonely

remains o armhouses still stand Many rural churches and schools have

almost vanished as well and some are used or barns or storage

Everything in Altus was within walking distance It was an eight-block

walk to get a haircut downtown and a three-block walk to the park

tennis courts and high school Beyond that was a sea o wheat fields and

cattle ranches

No one amous or wealthy lived in my hometown Tey were armers

laborers and small-town olk Lie was not easy but the love we had in

our amily elt like all we needed We did not think o ourselves as re-

stricted or lef behind Tis was the center o the world so ar as I was

concerned We lacked nothing essentialEveryone knew that i they were going to make something o their

lives they would have to do it or themselves No one attributed success

or ailure to a personrsquos environment or external causes Tey assumed

that most outcomes were due to the effort o the person or lack o it I

someone messed up we would more likely ponder how a hurtul habit

might be a lesson or us to avoid

A ldquocan dordquo spirit was what most clearly characterized that independentand confident small town But the lack o rain and an abundance o dust

depleted arm incomes Tat led to many homeless men on the move

looking or odd jobs Strong and good men on the road to somewhere

would knock on our door needing ood but they were always willing to

work or it Even though they were on the move all we needed to know

was that they were persons who had allen on hard times and were hungry

We never turned any o them away My mother would always find some-thing to eed them usually what we would be eating that day

Tey were not asking or anything more than lefovers or a cup o

coffee or a ew crackers or bread I never remember them asking or




he 983089983097983091983088s 10486251048629

money probably because there was almost no money circulating Ofen

business exchanges occurred by bartering goods or services Mom ofen

reminded me that each one o those people in need was made in Godrsquos

image Tey were people portrayed in the movies as hobos but we never

used that word I knew they were hardworking people who couldnrsquot pay

their mortgages and had to leave good arms as the banks were ore-

closing on them and disrupting long-laid plans

Dust storms were a regular part o my childhood I can still smell and

eel the looming approach o a thousand oot high wall o heavy gray

dust rolling in unexpectedly We would all run inside to try to seal the

windows with newspapers we attached by pins and masking tape to keep

as much dust as possible out o the house

We conserved and reused everything In that sense most everyone in

our town would have been considered ecologically minded by necessity

but without any ancy words We carved many o our own toys When

the rubber on the slingshot broke I would look or an old inner tube and

a tree branch to start over and make a new oneDad purchased a set o small leather-bound books containing the

shortened versions o classics such as Hamlet Rousseau and the ballads

o Robert Burns One o them was Emersonrsquos Self-Reliance I read it at an

early age maybe ten Because o Emersonrsquos book sel-reliance became a

key aspiration in my search or character

Despite everything I considered Cypress Street the worldrsquos best place

to be Still do We were on no main route and seldom locked our doorsI saw pictures in the newspapers o soup lines in the cities We much

preerred to be in dust-coated Oklahoma than in a Chicago ood relie

line or a crowded Hooverville camp in Caliornia

Te gentle warmth of family Almost every kid on my street came

rom a close-knit amily at a time when amily meant everything My

amilyrsquos small red brick steep-rooed English cottage had two bedrooms

but to us it always seemed to have plenty o space or everyone We hadhideaway olding beds or visitors and amily On holidays the house

could sleep as many as seventeen Tat was good because we had an

extended amily that stretched rom ippecanoe County Indiana to Las




10486251048630 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156

Cruces New Mexico I was among the youngest near the bottom o the

pecking order so I was ofen consigned to ldquosleeping at the oot o the

bedrdquo I was always happy to be a small kid in a large amily

My small world was my big amily My identity stemmed out o theirs

and I wouldnrsquot have been me without them I remember my childhood

much like William Butler Yeats described himsel in his early days in

Sligo as ldquoa boy with never a crack in my heartrdquo I elt complete as a child

lacking nothing important And I learned that delayed gratification was

part o every worthy endeavor

Growing up I was intrigued by the stories told around our fireplace

about my grandmotherrsquos grandather Elijah Walker who was the first

merchant to set up a small trading post in Northern Alabama to buy and

sell oods tools and goods among the Creek Indians Even more exciting

were Civil War stories about my great-grandather John C Oden whose

military record shows he was captured our times in battles that ranged

all the way rom Richmond to Natchez Each timemdasheither by release or

escapemdashhe returned to his own unit led by Colonel Tomas Bluett aferwhom my grandather was named and later I was named

My grandmother Sallie Elisa Walker rode into Arkansas on a Con-

estoga wagon Just afer the Civil War while she was still a young girl her

pioneer ather Andrew Jackson Walker gathered up his growing amily

rom around alladega Alabama and set out or the West where they

hoped to mine or gold or find tillable land

Afer several days on the road as the wagon pulled up to the erry onthe ombigbee River there was a horrible accident When the wagon

tipped Salliersquos brother Tad ell off and was crushed by the wagon wheel

Grieving the amily stopped to mourn and bury their little boy Sallie

did the only thing she could do she climbed back in the wagon and with

her heartbroken amily headed due west on the rough roads toward

Little Rock

From there they headed south to Clark County where some o theirAlabama riends and amily had settled In November o 1048625104863210486311048630 they ar-

rived at the village o Amity or what they thought would be a short stop

Heavy snows began to all and they could not continue Tey stayed in




he 983089983097983091983088s 10486251048631

Amity which became the ancestral home o the Oden amily Sallie grew

up and ell in love with my grandather Tomas Oden the son o a Pres-

byterian minister Teir marriage united two evangelical Christian tradi-

tions which would influence their amily rom then on Cumberland

Presbyterian and Wesleyan Methodist

My grandather Clark my motherrsquos ather was a railway man all his

lie About the same time the telegraph was invented by Edison my

grandather landed a job delivering newspapers on board the Indian-

apolis and Belleontaine Railroad which led to his learning telegraphy

and eventually to his lie as a railway agent He moved his amily rom

Pendleton Indiana gradually west to assignments in the exas Pan-

handle then to Nevada and finally back to Oklahoma

Grandather Clark was a loyal union man with lengthy seniority in

the Brotherhood o Railway Workers which at that time was among

the nationrsquos strongest labor unions Granddadrsquos most prized possession

was his official railroad time piece his round Hamilton watch which

he kept in his vest pocket on a gold chain Since human lives as well asreliable arrival schedules were at stake in the railroad business he lived

by the clock His passion or railroading was passed on to all his amily

especially to his two sons both o whom became university teachers in

fields related to the technology and history o railroads1

I inherited this same love o the railroad I ofen would go down to

the Katy station in Hollister to visit with my grandather at his busy

railway office I remember the special sound o an almost nonstop tele-graph tapping out Morse code Trough the incessant hum o dots and

dashes Granddad was the first in town to learn o wars elections tor-

nadoes or the St Louis Cardinalsrsquo scores

My ather was born in 1048625104863210486331048629 on an eighty-acre arm near the Caddo

River in Arkansas When I visited that old amily arm as a kid I came

away with touching memories o how my dad had grown up on the

rontier Tere was a small rame house which had at its center a redbrick fireplace with crackling cedar firewood I can still smell burning

My grandather built that house with his own hands

In his smokehouse I got a sense o how the pioneer amily had lived




10486251048632 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156

by preserving with salt brine the pork or bee they had raised or the fish

or owl they had hunted I watched my tall lanky grandather Oden eed

the stock with alala eed he himsel had grown and draw resh cold

water with a rope and bucket out o a well he had dug and an improvised

pump he had installed on his own back porch My grandather was a

hard scrabble armer who played the fiddle and talked politics with a

quiet wry wit My dad and his brothers and sisters along with their

parents worked this arm repairing their own tools planting and

mowing and living largely within a bartering economy

I have wondered what might have prompted a Presbyterian armer

and his Methodist wie to name my ather Waldo almage Oden Tey

used to read by candles they themselves had made rom beeswax or

animal-at tallow Possibly they read somewhere about Peter Waldo who

was the medieval preacher who ounded the Waldensians or Reverend

DeWitt almage o the Brooklyn abernacle who was the leading

Presbyterian holiness preacher o his day

Dad was the first one in his amily who managed to get a higher edu-cation His Latin teacher in his Arkansas one-room school thought he

did well enough to encourage him to become a lawyer which he did by

pressing urther westward into Oklahoma He attended the University

o Oklahoma Law School in its earliest years graduated in 1048625104863310486261048624 and then

went on to the University o Chicago Law School Afer passing the bar

he settled into his law practice back in Oklahoma He in turn assisted all

o his brothers with their educationFor ninety years there has been an Oden Law Firm in Jackson

County led by my ather and brother al continuing a firm that had

been ounded beore statehood When asked what he did my dad

would answer drolly ldquoJust a country lawyerrdquo But I ound out he was

one o the best when I saw his trial record He went to the courthouse

almost every day and litigated cases or clients in trouble many rom

small armsAs a boy I spent many hours around my dadrsquos office watching him do

his legal work and seeing him help people rom all sections o our com-

munity Dadrsquos county seat law firm served all layers o society and every




he 983089983097983091983088s 10486251048633

aspect o the human condition Lacking cash clients would ofen barter

or legal services with chickens cattle mineral rights and garden

products From the back seat o a courthouse bench I watched my ather

reason with judges and juries settle disputes deend mostly under-

privileged clients and embody the rule o law I also relish the memory

o my ather checking the conditions o seeds or roots o his maize crop

singing tenor in church or reading into the late evening a thick maroon-

covered mortgage history o a clientrsquos property

I treasured my time at Dadrsquos office I liked the smell o the leather o

the books the quietness and the invitation to learn Tick books were on

every wall floor to ceiling protected by glass enclosed bookcases His

most valuable possessions were his books I loved to tiptoe into his

hushed library and spontaneously read on any random page o any o his

weighty volumes o the Corpus Juris

Mom completed Dad in so many ways bringing joy and confidence

into our home lie Troughout my lie I saw my mother ace economic

hardship wartime conditions and tests o character that always seemedto make her stronger She could be tough but in a most gentle way Her

childhood was spent in Amarillo exas during its boisterous cowhand

days She told us that some o the ranch hands would ride into town on

Saturdays shouting and shooting their guns into the air but her parents

always kept her sae in the house until they had gone

Everyone who heard my motherrsquos voice elt her warmth She took

quiet pleasure in perorming unnoticed random acts o anonymouskindness o her final days she was orever hosting caring listening and

serving Still she beams her lightness into my dusky evenings showering

her special orm o glory on me I donrsquot ever recall a speck o guile or

despair in her character

I was born in the all o 1048625104863310486271048625 when the Dust Bowl was just beginning

and Hoover was president Tose were the difficult days between the

Crash o 1048625104863310486261048633 and the election o Franklin Roosevelt Since there wasno hospital in Jackson County except or a small clinic in Dr Allgoodrsquos

house a block away I was born in the smaller o the two bedrooms o

our house




10486261048624 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156

I showed up as little brother to a very bright big brother (al) with

round glasses who would become a lawyer like our ather Later a little

sister (Sarah) would appear who would have to be strong enough to

contend with two big brothers Happily the three o us have stayed very

close over the years

At five I was finally old enough to become a Cub Scout al had already

earned his First Class Badge and had his eye on getting a whole sleeve o

merit badges Each step required a difficult task and an examination

providing proo o having learned something useul I ollowed the Cub

Scout Motto ldquoDo your bestrdquo We learned to tie knots camp out co-

operate and tough things out I memorized the Scout law which says ldquoA

Scout is trustworthy loyal helpul riendly courteous kind obedient

cheerul thrify brave clean and reverentrdquo Tese ideals have never been

erased rom my consciousness2

I entered Mrs Highsmithrsquos kindergarten the same year I became a

Cub Scout Mrs Highsmith had converted a double garage at the back

o her property into a place or preschool education We learned aboutgetting along together singing nature numbers game playing and truth

telling In the rhythm band I got to play the sticks Others more ortunate

got to play the tin whistle drums or ocarina

My next school the Old Washington School was a ar cry rom Mrs

Highsmithrsquos garage Built at the time o statehood its creaking stairs sym-

bolized the passing generation o original Jackson County pioneer set-

tlers A our block walk rom my house the school was to me an awesomebuilding o bright red brick looming high above me with its soaring

Victorian ceilings and heroic pictures o Washington and Lincoln Its

most conspicuous eature was an out-o-the-window second floor fire

escapemdasha long tube-like slide plunging down to the dirt playground at

a 10486281048629-degree angle In my classroom on the first floor we envied the

luckier older kids upstairs who got to go down the slide during fire drills

My teacher Miss Peetry was young warm considerate and yesbeautiul She made everything at school interesting I ell in love not

only with learning but in a six-year-oldrsquos way with Miss Peetry My

world there was un sae wholesome and nourishing My best riend




he 983089983097983091983088s 10486261048625

was a reserved kid in overalls named Ralph Blaine whose shyness

matched my own It was good to have a riend who could understand my

quiet ways

A house full of music As the son o an Arkansas country fiddler Dad

always desired a house ull o music Tis is what he discovered in Mom

a woman with a heart ull o music Troughout my youth the house was

always pulsating with music o all kindsmdashclassic country hymns and

popular songs We had music students in our living room almost every

day with Mom guiding countless five-year-old fingers through the first

steps o Haydn and Mozart My mom especially reached out to talented

young Arican American students some o whom went on to college

music degrees and became proessional musicians I enjoyed seeing the

proud aces o parents who came into our living room to hear their chil-

drenrsquos recitals

Everybody in my amily requently played instruments sang harmony

and put together skits We all learned early to read music understand

rhythm and improvise chords All three o Momrsquos sisters were musiciansand every summer they made a train trip to Chicago or music lessons

My grandather provided harp instruction or Louise violin or Mary

and Catherine piano or my mother Lily and flute lessons or Dave and

Ira Grandather Clark owned the first movie theater in the village o

Duke when the earliest silent movies were being shown Duke Teater

combined live music with those films It was a stage or amateur peror-

mances and homemade vaudeville entertainment His daughters per-ormed as ldquoTe Clark Sistersrdquo with my mother at the keyboard

Growing up in my amily meant small fireside perormances on many

nights While none o us in the immediate amily chose music as a pro-

ession all o us have been lielong musical enthusiasts al was good

enough at bassoon while in high school to get an invitation to serve as

bassoonist in the Oklahoma City Symphony Philharmonic Orchestra

under the direction o Maestro Victor Alessandro Now in his eightiesal still has a huge repertoire o sing-along songs musical comedy

country and olk songs and entertainment gigs or Valentinersquos Day

dinners amily reunions Rotary Clubs and church meetings available




10486261048626 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156

anytime or any occasion always unny and ready at the drop o a hat

It was through music that I first learned to reason Te reasoning

process in music occurs through rhythm melody chords progressions

transitions and grace notes From a young age I grasped intuitively that

I could apply musical modes o mental organization to anything else I

studied When I tried to explain this to others I ound them mystified

but to me its reasonableness was sel-evident Tanks to my mother I was

playing a simplified orm o Beethovenrsquos ldquoFuumlr Eliserdquo at five As I grew I

ound every kind o music appealing rom Leadbelly to Shostakovich

G983154983151983159983145983150983143 U983152

Finding purpose At ten an epiphany happened to me on a summer night

when my cousins and I were sleeping outdoors on blankets As I lay on

the grass looking toward the sky or comets and constellations I ound

mysel involved in a deep and puzzling thought process about space I

wondered what was beyond the edge o the universe Really beyond I

the world was measurable and we could imagine an edge to the universewhat could be ldquobeyondrdquo

Ten I wondered what might have happened beore the earliest point

in time I wondered what ldquobeore timerdquo could ever possibly mean and

puzzled about what might exist afer the last moment o time I realized

much later that Augustine had already pondered this Tough I did not

know that I was raising the question o the mysterious relationship be-

tween finitude and infinity I recall how deeply affected I was by the twinmysteries o space and time

In our amily the day began with ldquoUpper Roomrdquo devotional readings

with our parents beore breakast We always said grace beore each meal

Scripture prayer and thoughtul conversation were woven into the daily

abric o our amily lie I memorized passages o Scripture like Psalm 1048625 and

1048625 Corinthians 10486251048627 Tese gems still return to my memory at unexpected times

We also gathered with Grandmother Oden in the living room just beorebedtime to hear a passage o Scripture read usually a chapter Ten we

would get on our knees and pray Grandmother began with ervent peti-

tions or the amily the lost the poor and the spiritual health o the nation




he 983089983097983091983088s 10486261048627

Dad taught the menrsquos class at church during most o his adult lie I

remember him on Saturday evenings pouring over Peloubetrsquos Select Notes

a commentary or teachers I still treasure thumbing through his leather

Bible tattered and underlined over many years o teaching with some

o his marginal notes still intact3

All Methodists back then knew that everyone had a calling that would

give purpose and meaning to their lives but I wasnrsquot sure what mine might

be With two musical grandathers a piano teaching mother a barbershop

quartet singing ather and a big brother who was a musical whiz it seemed

to me at first that music might be my calling At thirteen I set a goal o

learning how to play every instrument in the orchestra (I did itmdashexcept

or the strings) I began arranging quartet and orchestra scores on a small

scale at age thirteen As an aspiring composer I got a lot o practice at

writing and arranging musical scores or quartets and singing peror-

mances and by fifeen I thought that composing might be my calling Te

idea o a vocation in ministry was first planted in my mind at about age

ten by Brother Hiram Brogan a retired minister in our church EverySunday he wore the ormal dress o black tie and tails in the tradition o

Southern Methodist ministers at that time He always held beore me the

thought that I might grow up to be a minister His school teacher daughter

Bessie thought so too but I assumed they were just being nice

For a long time I was unclear about what ministers did on days other

than Sunday Ten came the summer when I was invited to drive around

the tobacco arms o rural ennessee all day with my Uncle Turstonwho was making annual visits to his congregations as their Methodist

district superintendent Tat trip provided an exciting glimpse o parish

ministry I had not seen beore Affable jolly and generous Turston

smoked good cigars despite Methodist rules Te day I was with him he

was traveling around his district to encourage those congregations to

meet their projected goals take care o each other and have some un

doing it As I was warmly welcomed everywhere I began to wonderabout being something like him Other times I vaguely imagined that I

wanted to be a lawyer Either way all I ever really wanted was to end up

with a house ull o books







InterVarsity Press






InterVarsity Press








ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983092983088983091983093-983097 (print)

ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983096983088983089983097-983093 (digital)




Oden Tomas C


Oden

pages cm




I itle

BX983096983092983097983093O983091983092A983091 983090983088983089983092

983090983091983088rsquo983095983094983088983097983090--dc983090983091

[B]

983090983088983089983092983088983091983091983091983092983089

P 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092 983089983091 983089983090 983089983089 983089983088 983097 983096 983095 983094 983093 983092 983091 983090 983089

Y 983091983092 983091983091 983091983090 983091983089 983091983088 983090983097 983090983096 983090983095 983090983094 983090983093 983090983092 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092





P983137983154983156 983089 E983137983154983148983161 Y983141983137983154983155

983089 he 983089983097983091983088s 983089983091

Prairie Dawn

983090 he 983089983097983092983088s 983090983093

A World at War 983091 he 983089983097983093983088s 983091983097

Love and Learning

983092 he 983089983097983094983088s 983095983093


P983137983154983156 1048626 C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156

983093 he 983089983097983095983088s 983089983091983089

he U-urn

983094 he 983089983097983096983088s 983089983095983097

Charting the Course

P983137983154983156 1048627 H983151983149983141983159983137983154983140 B983151983157983150983140

983095 he 983089983097983097983088s 983090983089983097


983096 he 983090983088983088983088s 983090983095983097

A ime of Harvest

983097 he 983090983088983089983088s 983091983090983093

After Eight Decades







Preface





















glued to the radio




10486251048624 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156


















part one

Early Years




1

The 1930s

Prairie Dawn

D983157983155983156 B983151983159983148 B983141983143983145983150983150983145983150983143983155






















10486251048628 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156












cattle ranches























he 983089983097983091983088s 10486251048629



































10486251048630 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156




























Little Rock







he 983089983097983091983088s 10486251048631



































10486251048632 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156



































he 983089983097983091983088s 10486251048633































our house




10486261048624 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156



































he 983089983097983091983088s 10486261048625



quiet ways











drenrsquos recitals





















10486261048626 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156










G983154983151983159983145983150983143 U983152
























he 983089983097983091983088s 10486261048627



































P983137983154983156 983089 E983137983154983148983161 Y983141983137983154983155

983089 he 983089983097983091983088s 983089983091

Prairie Dawn

983090 he 983089983097983092983088s 983090983093

A World at War 983091 he 983089983097983093983088s 983091983097

Love and Learning

983092 he 983089983097983094983088s 983095983093


P983137983154983156 1048626 C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156

983093 he 983089983097983095983088s 983089983091983089

he U-urn

983094 he 983089983097983096983088s 983089983095983097

Charting the Course

P983137983154983156 1048627 H983151983149983141983159983137983154983140 B983151983157983150983140

983095 he 983089983097983097983088s 983090983089983097


983096 he 983090983088983088983088s 983090983095983097

A ime of Harvest

983097 he 983090983088983089983088s 983091983090983093

After Eight Decades







Preface





















glued to the radio




10486251048624 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156


















part one

Early Years




1

The 1930s

Prairie Dawn

D983157983155983156 B983151983159983148 B983141983143983145983150983150983145983150983143983155






















10486251048628 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156












cattle ranches























he 983089983097983091983088s 10486251048629



































10486251048630 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156




























Little Rock







he 983089983097983091983088s 10486251048631



































10486251048632 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156



































he 983089983097983091983088s 10486251048633































our house




10486261048624 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156



































he 983089983097983091983088s 10486261048625



quiet ways











drenrsquos recitals





















10486261048626 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156










G983154983151983159983145983150983143 U983152
























he 983089983097983091983088s 10486261048627


































Preface





















glued to the radio




10486251048624 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156


















part one

Early Years




1

The 1930s

Prairie Dawn

D983157983155983156 B983151983159983148 B983141983143983145983150983150983145983150983143983155






















10486251048628 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156












cattle ranches























he 983089983097983091983088s 10486251048629



































10486251048630 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156




























Little Rock







he 983089983097983091983088s 10486251048631



































10486251048632 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156



































he 983089983097983091983088s 10486251048633































our house




10486261048624 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156



































he 983089983097983091983088s 10486261048625



quiet ways











drenrsquos recitals





















10486261048626 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156










G983154983151983159983145983150983143 U983152
























he 983089983097983091983088s 10486261048627


































10486251048624 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156


















part one

Early Years




1

The 1930s

Prairie Dawn

D983157983155983156 B983151983159983148 B983141983143983145983150983150983145983150983143983155






















10486251048628 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156












cattle ranches























he 983089983097983091983088s 10486251048629



































10486251048630 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156




























Little Rock







he 983089983097983091983088s 10486251048631



































10486251048632 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156



































he 983089983097983091983088s 10486251048633































our house




10486261048624 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156



































he 983089983097983091983088s 10486261048625



quiet ways











drenrsquos recitals





















10486261048626 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156










G983154983151983159983145983150983143 U983152
























he 983089983097983091983088s 10486261048627


































part one

Early Years




1

The 1930s

Prairie Dawn

D983157983155983156 B983151983159983148 B983141983143983145983150983150983145983150983143983155






















10486251048628 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156












cattle ranches























he 983089983097983091983088s 10486251048629



































10486251048630 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156




























Little Rock







he 983089983097983091983088s 10486251048631



































10486251048632 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156



































he 983089983097983091983088s 10486251048633































our house




10486261048624 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156



































he 983089983097983091983088s 10486261048625



quiet ways











drenrsquos recitals





















10486261048626 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156










G983154983151983159983145983150983143 U983152
























he 983089983097983091983088s 10486261048627


































1

The 1930s

Prairie Dawn

D983157983155983156 B983151983159983148 B983141983143983145983150983150983145983150983143983155






















10486251048628 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156












cattle ranches























he 983089983097983091983088s 10486251048629



































10486251048630 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156




























Little Rock







he 983089983097983091983088s 10486251048631



































10486251048632 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156



































he 983089983097983091983088s 10486251048633































our house




10486261048624 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156



































he 983089983097983091983088s 10486261048625



quiet ways











drenrsquos recitals





















10486261048626 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156










G983154983151983159983145983150983143 U983152
























he 983089983097983091983088s 10486261048627


































10486251048628 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156












cattle ranches























he 983089983097983091983088s 10486251048629



































10486251048630 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156




























Little Rock







he 983089983097983091983088s 10486251048631



































10486251048632 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156



































he 983089983097983091983088s 10486251048633































our house




10486261048624 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156



































he 983089983097983091983088s 10486261048625



quiet ways











drenrsquos recitals





















10486261048626 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156










G983154983151983159983145983150983143 U983152
























he 983089983097983091983088s 10486261048627


































he 983089983097983091983088s 10486251048629



































10486251048630 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156




























Little Rock







he 983089983097983091983088s 10486251048631



































10486251048632 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156



































he 983089983097983091983088s 10486251048633































our house




10486261048624 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156



































he 983089983097983091983088s 10486261048625



quiet ways











drenrsquos recitals





















10486261048626 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156










G983154983151983159983145983150983143 U983152
























he 983089983097983091983088s 10486261048627


































10486251048630 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156




























Little Rock







he 983089983097983091983088s 10486251048631



































10486251048632 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156



































he 983089983097983091983088s 10486251048633































our house




10486261048624 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156



































he 983089983097983091983088s 10486261048625



quiet ways











drenrsquos recitals





















10486261048626 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156










G983154983151983159983145983150983143 U983152
























he 983089983097983091983088s 10486261048627


































he 983089983097983091983088s 10486251048631



































10486251048632 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156



































he 983089983097983091983088s 10486251048633































our house




10486261048624 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156



































he 983089983097983091983088s 10486261048625



quiet ways











drenrsquos recitals





















10486261048626 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156










G983154983151983159983145983150983143 U983152
























he 983089983097983091983088s 10486261048627


































10486251048632 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156



































he 983089983097983091983088s 10486251048633































our house




10486261048624 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156



































he 983089983097983091983088s 10486261048625



quiet ways











drenrsquos recitals





















10486261048626 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156










G983154983151983159983145983150983143 U983152
























he 983089983097983091983088s 10486261048627


































he 983089983097983091983088s 10486251048633































our house




10486261048624 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156



































he 983089983097983091983088s 10486261048625



quiet ways











drenrsquos recitals





















10486261048626 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156










G983154983151983159983145983150983143 U983152
























he 983089983097983091983088s 10486261048627


































10486261048624 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156



































he 983089983097983091983088s 10486261048625



quiet ways











drenrsquos recitals





















10486261048626 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156










G983154983151983159983145983150983143 U983152
























he 983089983097983091983088s 10486261048627


































he 983089983097983091983088s 10486261048625



quiet ways











drenrsquos recitals





















10486261048626 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156










G983154983151983159983145983150983143 U983152
























he 983089983097983091983088s 10486261048627


































10486261048626 A C983144983137983150983143983141 983151983142 H983141983137983154983156










G983154983151983159983145983150983143 U983152
























he 983089983097983091983088s 10486261048627


































he 983089983097983091983088s 10486261048627
































A Change of Heart by Thomas C. Oden - EXCERPT

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Transcript of A Change of Heart by Thomas C. Oden - EXCERPT