There once was a lady from Bethel / Who …

True story… but first some background...

Among Baptists and many evangelical denominations, there is what is called a “midweek prayer service.” This was Wednesday at Bethel Baptist Church in Erie, PA, where I grew up. Once a month it was followed by a business meeting (and judging by how those business meetings often went, it was a good thing they did the praying first.[1])

The story...

When I was very little, a church member (whom I don’t remember) was plagued with the most horrible tragedies. Every week she was asking for prayers for couples involved in sordid affairs, friends and family getting divorced, family dying, family in jail, family dying in jail...

Turned out when someone finally inquired, she was asking for prayer for the cast of her favorite soap opera.

I don’t know if she was even aware they were fictional.

True story.

[2013-12-02]

c0

Mindless niceties?

Are “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Thanksgiving” mindless niceties along the lines of "good morning," which has no connection to whether or not a morning is actually good?

[2013-11-25]

c0

[1]

Bethel was very large and many men in the church ran businesses and had fiery temperaments, including, as I recall, George Hutnyak, who was a marshmallow around kids, but during a business meeting became more of his old ex-Marine self storming Normandy again. No foul language, mind you, just stern business. Somehow they all managed to remain friends, even after shaking their fists at each other across the sanctuary. Or so it seemed to an observant child.

c0