Fourth Avenue United Methodist Church, Louisville, Kentucky

My mother’s parents lived their religion. Every morning with their oatmeal and orange juice, they read a Bible verse and commentary. When my grandmother woke me up, she’d say “This is a day the Lord has made. Rejoice, and be glad in it.” Even if it was raining. People on TV who are evangelicals are too often harsh. They bellow "you have to believe 'this'." Too often, “this” is a political platform, not the Good News of Jesus Christ Our Lord and Savior. "This" certainly wasn’t the old-time religion that shone out of my grandparents. They lived a life of love, blessedness, and merriment, albeit teetotalling style. Shirlee Lambert was a force of nature. She had gone to college, back in the 1920s. Not a common thing for a southern woman, but education was sacred in her family. To know the Lord, you…