Prompting, Prodding, and Provoking

As I journey along the path of the Heritage, Hope, Home blog, I’m asking for and receiving suggestions about people I should talk with for the blog.  Ed Gaskins was brought to my attention for two reasons:  because he is a teacher of the Danielson Sunday School Class and because “Ed can tell a good story,” as someone said.  He did not let me down on either count when we sat down for a chat this past week.

Ed Gaskins and his wife Ann joined Hayes Barton Baptist Church in 1970 when they moved to Raleigh.  Both had grown up Baptists and were looking for a Baptist church. “Back in those days,” recalls Ed, “denomination was an important factor.  Additionally, we experienced such a friendly reception from folks like the Partins when we visited.  The church also had a diversity of viewpoints that I liked, and we liked T.L. Cashwell’s preaching.”

Looking back now on his years in the church, Ed notes how important the church was in the raising of two daughters and now the role it plays with his grandchildren.  "There is no greater joy than seeing my daughter sing in the choir," says Ed.  "The church has met the needs of my family for over 40 years."  

Initially interested in teaching youth, for the first few years, Ed taught seventh through twelfth grade Sunday School.  In those days, the teachers, one male and one female, worked in pairs.  Topics would be identified, the pairs would be announced, and the youth would choose the pair they wanted for their teachers.   “I thoroughly enjoyed that as it was a great experience,” remembers Ed. 

In 1973, Ed was given the opportunity to substitute as a teacher for an adult Sunday School class, the Danielson Class.  Substitute turned into permanent and that is what he has been ever since.  Using the Socratic method, Ed, never lecturing, prompts, prods, and provokes the class to express themselves on theological issues.

“I don’t ever lecture,” says Ed.  “Mature Christians don’t need folks to lecture at them.  They bring mature thoughts.  The class can be a place where they are moved to teach each other. I try to provoke them so they express their opinions.”

Ed shares the teaching responsibilities these days with Mary Beth Johnston, Judy Martin, Vann Langston, and Bill Long.  “The class enjoys the variety of teachers and benefits from the different approaches,” says Ed.

All this discussion about teaching prompted me to ask Ed about his favorite lesson to teach.  “I don’t know about a favorite one, but I know the hardest one,” Ed shares.  “The hardest lesson to teach and to live is forgiveness, letting go.  All of us get hurt in life, but it is important for us to not keep it inside,” says Ed.  “Certainly, forgiveness is a lesson Jesus wants us to learn, but learning it and doing it are two different things.”

Continuing along with this conversation, Ed notes that his law practice sees this play out case by case.  As a civil litigator, he sees people who are hurt and people who are angry almost on a daily basis.  “It is important to let the anger go,” says Ed. “I tell my clients that.”

At this point, having felt like I got the benefit of a Sunday School lesson without having to go to Sunday School, I asked Ed why he likes teaching Sunday School.  “It is something special to teach the Bible,” shares Ed.  “Although I had read and studied the Bible as a youth, starting with an undergraduate Old Testament course at Wake Forest, I developed a great admiration of and respect for the Bible, and I’ve studied it ever since.”  Ed even recalls sharing some years later with the professor of that class how that experience in the 1959 class impacted him for a lifetime.  “It was an eye-opening experience.”

In spite of all the discussion about Sunday School, though, talking about “theological viewpoints is not the greatest concern” we should have, according to Ed.  “Jesus wasn’t worried about those. He was concerned primarily about God and fellowman and how we need to live given God and fellowman.”

Story upon story started to roll from Ed as we shared time together, and the common thread among all the stories really went back to how we need to live given we are God’s children and have responsibility for our fellowmen.  Sometimes we say all the right things, but when faced with doing the right things, we freeze, we stagnate.  “We need to continue to learn and grow so we don’t get stagnant,” says Ed.  “We need to have challenges so we aren’t too comfortable.”

Hayes Barton Baptist Church has benefited from Ed’s willingness to face challenges and perhaps generate a few.  It has benefited from his prompts, prods, and provocations.   Because of Ed and many people like him through the years, Hayes Barton Baptist Church is not a stagnate church as it celebrates 85 years.  “There is a lot of energy now,” says Ed.  “The question is,” he asks in his best Sunday School teacher cadence, “What are we going to do with it?”