I sat, as a guest, in one of our classes on American History and listened to a professor friend teach. He stood up, clutched his lapels in Lincoln fashion and began to recite, word for word, without notes or flash cards, a speech everyone should know.

He began softly, "Four score and seven years ago..." And in two minutes, he finished. He paused, looked at the students and raised his voice, "The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they (the fallen soldiers) did here. We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain. That this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth!"

We call those magnificent words "The Gettysburg Address."

This was a speech day to dedicate the "Soldiers' National Cemetery" and to remember and honor the some-3500 Union soldiers buried there. As historians, we must remember that the Battle of Gettysburg took the lives of some 23,000 Union soldiers and 28,000 Confederate soldiers.

Lincoln was not the key speaker as that honor was given to the president of Harvard College who was considered as one of the best eloquent and skilled orators in the country. My research tells us that some attorney invited President Lincoln out of courtesy, I suppose, to give, "a few appropriate remarks."

Back in those days — and sure enough practiced today — a good speaker was expected to wow the audience with showmanship, lots of colorful language and two or more hours of uninterrupted and riveting words. I understand that thousands of listeners — not overwhelmed with today's TV shows and mind-bending advertisements — went to these classic shindigs like Italians to opera or Brits to Shakespeare.

Present-day pastors are allowed to preach until 10 minutes to noon so the congregation can be dismissed in order for the hungry masses to get to the diner ahead of the Baptists who demand all the pie and ice cream be given to them and leave none for the Presbyterians.

According to the press, Everett's speech did run for about two hours, was not up to par and was average, at best. The paper also added that Lincoln's speech was "silly remarks."

Those who have the great privilege of visiting Washington, D.C., and have visited the Lincoln Memorial remember his speech, etched in marble, visible for all to see.

Words can change the world! Hours and hours of rhetoric hardly glues anyone to the TV because most of the time, all we hear is shouting, accusing, misrepresenting, conspiracy and opinion. Of course, during the break — if there is one — there is always a panel of so-called experts who explain what was said, not said, was true or false and spiced with a musical ad for the latest weight loss pill.

Make some changes, folks, make some changes.

I strongly suggest that anyone who is called to speak, should pick up the greatest book ever written with speeches that will calm the soul, scare the wicked, challenge the evildoer, give directions to the seeker and never grow old. It is our Bible and nothing, and I mean nothing, can replace it.

Imagine the writers of these remarkable words standing before us, looking intently at us and speaking for God! Ah, there's the Prophets, Psalms, Proverbs, to mention only a few, then there's the Gospels, Paul's letters, the Sermon on the Mount, all for us to read, cherish, remember, study and as I said before, "Never grow old!"

Do we realize that these words have been given to us to hear for nearly 2000 years! Oh, and we sing them, too. "Wonderful Words of Life!"

Thanks, God!