First Baptist of Oxford using story of the Titanic to illustrate biblical message

By CAROLINE KLAPPER, DAILY SUN

Saturday, September 13, 2008 11:38 AM EDT

OXFORD — When the Titanic set sail on April 10, 1912, the ship was deemed the biggest, fastest ship in the world, and most importantly, it was called unsinkable. Tragically, five days later, the ship struck an iceberg and sank, taking with it 1,523 lives out of the 2,228 passengers on board.

The story of the Titanic is probably one of the most well-known tragedies in history. In the eyes of the Rev. Don Manley, of First Baptist Church of Oxford, it is also an event that illustrates the uncertainty of life and the need to be spiritually prepared for whatever might come.

At 11 a.m. Sept. 21, during a special sermon titled “The Titanic Encounter,” Manley will share his biblical take on the Titanic tragedy and the lessons that can be learned from it.

“Life’s uncertain. The scripture says, ‘Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth,’ (Proverbs 27:1),” Manley quoted. “How true that is. It’s something I’m afraid we don’t talk about or think about, but it’s something that sometimes we need to be brought face to face with.”

Unusual but effective

Although the idea of using the Titanic as a way to send a biblical message might seem a little unusual, Manley said he has heard of events similar to this one being done around the country. The idea is that the compelling story of the Titanic is one that lends itself to a meaningful sermon which really can have an impact on people, Manley said.

“The main theme is that we need God,” he explained. “For example, one of the most famous statements was the one that said even God himself couldn’t sink this ship. That’s pretty thought-provoking, isn’t it? We sometimes think we have gotten so efficient, but the bottom line is we still need God.”

An authentic look

For a more authentic experience, some of the church’s congregation will dress in early 1900s clothing, and they will pass out boarding tickets to each person in attendance. The tickets are replicas of the style actually used on the Titanic, and each one will have the name of a real Titanic passenger on it.

At the end of the evening, participants can check the ship’s “passenger log” to find out whether their ticket has the name of someone who lived through or died in the shipwreck.

Congregation members Terri and Larry Noe both are going to be in costume to help with the event, which they are looking forward to.

“I thought to myself, ‘Wow, that would be something really great to dress for the occasion and get a lot of people to come,’” Terri said. “I thought it would be something special.”

Larry agreed and added, “I think it’s great that we’re doing all of this.” He said the concept will create a sermon with a lot of effect.

“Everybody seems to be really excited about it,” Terri said.

For member Mary Gee, the event gave her an opportunity to be artistic. She is involved in decorating the church to make it look like a ship’s deck, and she even painted a picture of the Titanic for display. She said she wanted to be involved because the messages in the sermon are important.

“You never know from day to day when you’re going to die,” she said, explaining that it is important to prepare yourself for eternity.

Even Manley will be dressed up as a ship’s captain as he delivers his sermon. He said people can expect to hear several messages wrapped up both in the historical facts about the Titanic and in the words of the Bible.

“First of all, we’re going to revisit a big event in history. Second of all, we’re going to apply biblical principles to that event,” he said. “Tying (everything) together is thought-provoking and can cause an individual to rethink where they’re at spiritually.”

The Titanic Encounter will be held at 11 a.m. Sept. 21 at First Baptist Church of Oxford. The church is on U.S. Highway 301, one block south of the traffic light at the County Road 466 and U.S. Highway 301 intersection. For information, call 748-2392.

Caroline Klapper is a reporter with the Daily Sun. She can be reached at 753-1119, ext. 9018, or caroline.klapper@thevillagesmedia.com.