Men's Breakfast, September 1, 2017
Men's breakfast went pretty well. I led for the first time in a long time and I got pretty ambitious behind it, making up a new topic and giving out copies of my YA novel cum short story ("YOU get a copy, and YOU get a copy, and YOU get a copy!") a la Oprah. I read it for the first time in two years and I think it holds up. I don't think I'd make any changes at this point. Kinda gutsy letting Bing and Robert see it. Two professional editors.
The question I posed to the group was closely related to what I was venting about some weeks ago on this very blog: Whether the Church Is a Necessary Evil?
I was surprised by how easy the question went down. Something about the nature of "necessary evils" gave the normally anti-clerical, Robert, common ground with all the ex-Presbyterians and ex-Catholics in the room. I wasn't expecting so much agreement!
Bing offered the only thing approaching reproach; he objected to the label, "evil". But, if you're Fallen, you're fallen and doesn't that include your Church, too?
Anyway, there were only six of us (we began with seven, but Eric had to eave early) and we soon ran out of things to say, particularly since no one seemed bent out of shape by the nature of the question. Lots of people, when you put it to them, are prepared to accept the idea that church is both necessary and a less than unalloyed good.
Sang "My Prayer", the old Platters tune which was a cover of a much older hit by the Inkspots. For once, I was glad Crosby was not there to hear me screech the high note at the end.
Bing and I are still dickering over The Painting. I would have given it to him for nothing three months ago, if I'd thought for a moment he actually liked it. But, now he's thinking of giving it as a gift to The Mysterious Stranger. I've seen the inside of that Bay Area house (thanks, to Facebook.) It would look great, so why shouldn't I get paid for it?
The question I posed to the group was closely related to what I was venting about some weeks ago on this very blog: Whether the Church Is a Necessary Evil?
I was surprised by how easy the question went down. Something about the nature of "necessary evils" gave the normally anti-clerical, Robert, common ground with all the ex-Presbyterians and ex-Catholics in the room. I wasn't expecting so much agreement!
Bing offered the only thing approaching reproach; he objected to the label, "evil". But, if you're Fallen, you're fallen and doesn't that include your Church, too?
Anyway, there were only six of us (we began with seven, but Eric had to eave early) and we soon ran out of things to say, particularly since no one seemed bent out of shape by the nature of the question. Lots of people, when you put it to them, are prepared to accept the idea that church is both necessary and a less than unalloyed good.
Sang "My Prayer", the old Platters tune which was a cover of a much older hit by the Inkspots. For once, I was glad Crosby was not there to hear me screech the high note at the end.
Bing and I are still dickering over The Painting. I would have given it to him for nothing three months ago, if I'd thought for a moment he actually liked it. But, now he's thinking of giving it as a gift to The Mysterious Stranger. I've seen the inside of that Bay Area house (thanks, to Facebook.) It would look great, so why shouldn't I get paid for it?