David Lipscomb, Church of Christ reverend and founder of Lipscomb Academy, did not believe in ghosts. His fellow reverend, Jesse Ferguson, did. In fact, Jesse felt so strongly that spirits were among us that he shocked his Church Street congregation one Sunday morning by announcing, “if you want to know what Heaven is like, just ask the spirits.” All chaos broke lose. His church was burned, and David cast him out of the Church of Christ as a traitor. Jesse escaped to New Orleans, where ghosts and spiritualists were more welcome.

Hand on the Bible heart in the sky

you picked up your rifles and I laid down mine

I’m in the middle walking that fine line

between the truth and a lie

but I hear ghosts find their way home

through the Church Street windows

Oh I believe in things that I can’t see

I feel them all around me like I’m waking in a dream

their words sing like a hymn like morning light through stained glass

so if you want to know what heaven is like just ask

I call on my angels I talk to God

close my eyes and remember all the love I’ve lost

and that silver thread keeps them tied to me always

they might leave but they’re never really gone

Oh I believe in things that I can’t see

I feel them all around me like I’m waking in a dream

their words sing like a hymn like morning light through stained glass

so if you want to know what heaven is like just ask

There is a door a rose-gold gate

you can watch it swing wide open

or turn and look away

but it’s there from the first breath to the last

so when you want to know what heaven is like you’ll ask

Oh I believe in things that I can’t see

I feel them all around me like I’m waking in a dream

their words sing like a hymn like morning light through stained glass

so when you want to know what heaven is like just ask