Catching up

[Murfreesboro]

Happy Easter weekend to you all, too!

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

I hope that everybody enjoyed their Easter weekend.

We only go to church during Christmas and Easter, and after today my wife and I have decided that we're going to look for a new church.

[Murfreesboro]

I hope you find one that suits your family.

You've mentioned before that your wife is of Greek ancestry. Does she have any experience with the Greek Orthodox church? I know it's what Episcopalians would call "high church," very ornate and highly liturgical. Some people love the aesthetic of that, while others prefer a plain style.

I was raised Episcopalian, while my husband's family is Lutheran. We've been attending a Lutheran church here in Murfreesboro because his parents helped to found it. They are both early Protestant denominations, so both are liturgical and somewhat similar to Catholicism. However, despite their similarities, I see differences. My husband's church seems very "plain style" to me, perhaps because mine was a neo-gothic cathedral built in the 1880s, and his was a mid-century modern church. Also the musical traditions are different, even though both are good. The differences don't really matter that much, but I just know from experience that diffetent denominations give off different "vibes."

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

My wife is only part Greek on her mother's side of the family, and they have been here for a few generations, so from a religious standpoint they have been Americanized for awhile. I know that both her parents were brought up Episcopalian in this area, though I'm uncertain of her grandparents or any of her earlier relatives.

The churches around here aren't that old in comparison with other areas, I think most of them were built after 1900, and while some of them were beautifully designed, they aren't as elegant or elaborate as some older churches.

I've mentioned how when I was in my late teens and early twenties I studied as many different religions that I could, and I found it interesting how similar different denominations of the same faith were, even though each of them claim that their traditions and practices are their own, they were very similar but some people would argue with you that they weren't.

The church we are currently with is Episcopal, and my wife has been coming here since she was born, we got married here and both our kids were blessed here, it's a beautiful church and we know everybody there, but it's become ... annoying in the last few years. The previous Minister died during the pandemic, he was a kind, gentle, and loving person that everybody here respected, but the man that replaced him is one of those doom and gloom types that focuses his sermons mainly on the impending, it's coming next week, end of the world rhetoric.

I understand that the doom and gloom end of days approach has always been a effective way to attract attention and get people to attend church, like you said, those end of days books are very popular right now in the store where your daughter works, but you don't have to constantly beat people over the head with that message.

I've sat there a few times now while that man spread his message that the end is near, and I've looked around at the other people in the church and saw just how uncomfortable they look, little kids crying because he's always yelling about the coming apocalypse, when he should be spreading the good word. When we were there on Sunday, he went on and on about the end, telling everybody that they were going to burn in Hell if they don't listen to him, instead of focusing the Easter sermon on the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord and savior, and the positive message you expect to hear.

I know that from speaking with other people there that they are sick of him too, and some of them were saying that they might hold a meeting with the church group to step in. As I said, we only attend church a few times a year, so I don't know how far our opinion on the matter will go, but if he doesn't leave then my wife and I have decided that we have heard enough from this guy, and we are going to look for another church to attend.

Like Millie said, the end will happen when it does, so live to the fullest and enjoy life, and that's what we teach our kids. There's no reason to live in fear that the world is ending soon, because every idiot that has predicted the end since the beginning of civilization has been wrong.

[Murfreesboro]

Even Jesus said that he didn't know when the end was coming, so I don't expect to know.

I'm surprised to hear that an Episcopal minister has gone so fundamentalist. That is not the usual profile of an Episcopal minister. For most of my life, the problem has been that they don't focus enough on the Bible and instead seem.obsessed with social justice.

End times talk is definitely in the air right now. My second son, who as I've said elsewhere has had mental health issues in the past, is obsessed with it. I sometimes suspect he'd love for Jesus to come back so he wouldn't have to take responsibility for living his life. I keep trying to persuade him that we're all here for a reason, and that as long as we're living we need to be looking for ways we can benefit our communities.

It's hard to imagine a minister of any denomination turning Easter Sunday morning into a downer!

My older son read the Bible cover to cover for the first time a couple of years back. When he'd finished it, he said to me, "What I got from reading the Bible is that we're here for relationship." I thought that was a pretty good summary--relationship with God, relationship with each other.

[Andybev01]

I hope that everybody enjoyed their Easter weekend.

We only go to church during Christmas and Easter, and after today my wife and I have decided that we're going to look for a new church.

I have a sister who only goes to church on Christmas and Easter...just in case.

[Murfreesboro]

My kids call that practice "Chreaster Christianity." Of course, I'm not aware that any of them went to church this past Sunday. I know the two here didn't because they were both down with a nasty cold. I have it now. Yuck. At least I was able to sing over the weekend.

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

I hope that you feel better soon Murf.

"What I got from reading the Bible is that we're here for relationship."

Your older son is absolutely right.

Regarding the minister at our church, from what I was told he was only supposed to be here temporarily. He was brought in during the pandemic, and at that time some people really believed that the pandemic was sent as a punishment for humanity, and that it was just the first stage in the beginning of the end. Of course, like any opportunist, he capitalized on that momentum of heightened fear and uncertainty, and he started to focus his sermons on the apocalypse and the end times to manipulate the weaker minded members of his flock, and he parlayed that into a rather lucrative crater for himself. The guy is a charlatan and a manipulator, and if people are stupid enough to hang on his every word then good for them.

The other day when we were at church one of the other people there sarcastically remarked that it was funny how a mother and her 4 kids have to take a bus to attend the church every week while the minister drives a Mercedes Benz. But hey, you can't blame him, right? I mean, there's always been corruption in the church, and a minister that lives like a king while his congregation struggles is perfectly normal in our current society.

As for why we don't attend church regularly, I mean, aside from the reasons above ... As I mentioned, this is the church that my wife grew up attending, and it's almost a hour away from us. I also work on some weekends, but on the weekends that I'm not working I would rather spend that time with my kids giving them positive moments and memories that they can enjoy and learn from, instead of sitting in a building listening to a moron go on and on and on that the world is going to end next week.

I don't think that the good Lord wants us to live our lives consumed by the impending doom that might not even arrive in our lifetime. I'm just saying.

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

It's interesting that we are having this conversation and this episode of The Simpsons just came on.

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[Murfreesboro]

Yeah, I guess someday it will be true, but I think it's a waste of time to fret about it.

I can understand your wife's desire to stay connected to her childhood church, but an hour's drive for a busy family who work weekends sounds impractical. Y'all need to find some place closer to home, especially if the current minister is not someone you enjoy or respect.

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

On a completely unrelated note, I usually grow my beard during the winter months, and since it's starting to get warmer here I just shaved it. My beard is grey, while the rest of my hair is still mostly black, and Sam was quick to say that the beard makes me look old, and she prefers me without it. My wife said that when I have a beard I look like I'm in my 50s, but when I shave it I look like I'm in my 30s. So I'm not sure if that was a compliment or not.

Also, this weekend somebody cancelled their wedding and my wife was stuck with a $500 5 tier wedding cake, but since it was already paid for we have been giving away a free slice to customers at the restaurant and bakery.

Btw, I just saw the poster for the new Scary Movie, some of the previous movies were funny, so I hope this isn't just a good poster and the movie is good as well.

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[Murfreesboro]

Sad about the wedding cake. It's shocking to me how many engagements get called off, but when they get called off that close to the ceremony, you figure something dramatic must have happened.

I don't have strong opinions about beards. I may have a slight preference for the clean-shaven look, and that was my husband's style until about 12 years into our marriage. Then nothing would do, but he just had to have a beard. I thought it would be a phase, but all these years later, he's still got it. And because of his example, I guess, both our sons are also bearded. Now my daughter says she prefers men with beards, I suppose because that's what she's seen in her immediate family. I guess beards have always been signs of maturity and masculine authority. Over the centuries, most men have aspired to that, rather than a boyish appearance.

That movie poster visually alludes to almost every horror franchise I can think of!

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

but when they get called off that close to the ceremony, you figure something dramatic must have happened.

That's probably true, it's usually the bride finding out that the guy cheated on her, but don't know and don't care ... free cake for everybody!

Regarding beards, I could grow a full beard by the time that I was 15, it was late 15, I noticed it about 2 months before I turned 16, but I definitely used it to my advantage, and it got me attention from some attractive older ladies. I had that beard for over 2 years, but the longest that I ever grew it was about 2 inches. After that I had a clean shaven look until I was in my 30s, then I started growing it during the winter months because it gets very cold here and I'm not the type of guy that wears a scarf. Through history beards have been a symbol of wisdom and strength in the bible and mythology, and there are cultures that don't ever shave their beards.

As for moustaches, I haven't ever liked them and I wouldn't ever walk around with one. I still think they make guys look creepy.

[Murfreesboro]

My husband does have a mustache. Beards without mustaches remind me of the Mennonites or maybe the Amish. It's true that they require more regular cleaning.

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

Allow me to clarify, when I say a full beard that includes the area above the mouth. When I said that I don't like moustaches, I was referring specifically to the guys that only grow a moustache and don't have any other facial hair, like Burt Reynolds. That look has always annoyed me.

Starting next month, Phoebe will be competing in martial arts tournaments every weekend for the whole month, if she places in the top 5 in her age bracket each week then she will qualify for the nationals in June. Her trainers said that her skills have advanced even faster than they anticipated and they don't have any doubt that she could make it to the finals at the nationals, they said that she could even sweep the whole tournament.

Sam has opted not to participate in any more tournaments, when we asked her, she said it's because her martial arts training is for self defense and not for competition. I understand and respect her decision, but I think the real reason is because she can't match Phoebe's skills so she doesn't want to compete against her. As somebody with siblings, and anybody that grew up with siblings will tell you this, you're always competing against them for everything, rank, recognition, respect, and results. It isn't vindictive competition, but more like trying to out perform each other for bragging rights, but eventually you understand that everybody has something that they are better at than anybody else, so you find your strengths and focus on them.

Sam is good at physical activities, but she really shines academically, while Phoebe gets decent grades, but she excels at gymnastics and martial arts. So they each have their strengths, and hopefully they will both continue to pursue their passions and have some fun along the way.