Every eye in the house!
My wife has reminded me of an experience I would rather not repeat.
Our Dutch Reformed Church was inclined to be cool and strait-laced; so it was a little surprising, an announcement that this week’s Sunday service would be “an old-fashioned camp meeting”… like you see in movies. In suburban New Jersey, not so much.
It sounded like fun to me; so once the choir was in place, and the minister went to the pulpit to begin the lesson, I dove head-first into the spirit of the thing by shouting “Hallelujah!”
Every eye in the building swiveled onto me. I need hardly point out that no one else, not a soul, even whispered “Hallelujah.”
(Quick! How can I bury myself under the floor?)
That was our old-fashioned camp meeting.
MEANWHILE, THE NEWS…
It’s been a rough week and I’m going to try to get through the day without getting involved in the nooze. Wish me luck.
You got me laughing, Lee. I guess that there are different kinds of camp meetings. 🙂
I will never mention any names, but I was raised in a denomination where their first commandment might well have been: Thou shall keep thy yap shut, speak only when given permission, and make certain not to say anything that anyone in the room might disagree with. So, to me, shouting “Hallelujah!” would have been a foreign concept.
Looking back on the strait-laced world I came from, it always amazed me how personality would occasionally shine through. The uptight deacon who would tell a slightly risqué joke, or someone else who presented as very uptight would show up in a rapacious muscle-car, quietly creeping into the parking lot, and avoiding the loud exhaust noises their car wished to bellow.
A friend of similar background and I were talking about how much fun it was to irritate the leadership, who looked askance at our electric guitars, or in his case, his Shelby Mustang, which attracted the young ladies in droves. 🙂
We did have a few eccentric Sunday school teachers; and they were fun.
When I was in my teens, there were young married men at our church who were definitely very active in church activities, but young enough that they were still relatable to a wizened old man of 16 years age. Most of these guys drove cars that I dug; one fellow had a lightly modified Chevelle with a four speed. Another fellow had a Mercury Cougar convertible and a Honda 450 motorcycle, which elevated him to ultra cool, in my eyes.
I haven’t been active in that church for many years now, and sadly, have lost touch with many long-time friends. The one fellow I know the most about has remained a devout Christian, but he still managed to stay cool, buying a mid-life Corvette once his kids were grown, and on their own. I remember these guys fondly, as people whom lived godly lives, but still lived with individuality and flair.
I cannot understand why anyone would look askance at someone in a CHURCH for praising God. That is just not real church. I’m glad I never attended one of those.
I have a hymn request for tomorrow: Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen. It is a great one.
Just as individuals have different personalities so do church bodies. I like a reverent church atmosphere while others may prefer one where anyone can shout out at any time, or anything in between. To each their own as long as the Lord and His Gospel is being glorified.