Week 05
of 52 -
So far have traveled about 57,000,000 miles.
Thoughts
during week before visit:
Thinking
about what I said in last week's report about the Mormon’s "common"
belief with the Jehovah's witnesses, I think there is an important difference
in the weight the belief is given.
Among
the Jehovah's Witnesses - in my ten or so visits 50 years ago - and my visit
last week - this doctrine is the subject of the talk every single Sunday. The talk is always about why they are right
and everybody else is wrong. Mormons
have the same belief - but it is not given nearly so much attention. At least they can go to church and hear talks
on a thousand subjects - how to have happy families - or how to have healthier
bodies, etc. I'm sure the Witnesses do
this also - but not in their main religious meeting - that one is only about
being right while everyone else is wrong.
Anyway
- you may rest assured - there is no danger of Chuck Borough becoming a
Jehovah's Witness. In discussion, they
accused me of "condemning God."
I said, "No - not condemning God - condemning beliefs about Him
that make of Him an evil god. There is
no such god as that, and if there were, rather than worship him, we would be
wise to hate him." I will meet many people this year who believe God is
evil, by the actions they describe Him as doing, and yet define Him as Good by
definition – because someone said so.
I'm
going to visit
I know
someone whose daughter was married there - and they said it was so beautiful -
and they were so glad they hadn't decided to marry at the Mormon Church - where
"civil" marriage is usually criticized right in the ceremony - and
the whole thing seems not a celebration.
The four of our children who have married, have done so in the
temple. If one of my children were
marrying - but not in the temple - I think I would advise them to avoid the
Mormon Church for the ceremony. Go to a
place where people will feel it is the most beautiful thing they have ever seen
- and the ladies cry, etc. And walk down
the aisle with big big organ music - and pomp and the
call to commitment with support - and no advice that something is wrong with
the way they are doing it. The knowledge
that they are making their lifelong commitment this way because they have been
found unworthy of the correct way - is damaging to the process. Some people are very much in love and
committed - who have found themselves a little too close to each other before
they married. If they belong to each
other, (not promiscuous) - then it is still beautiful - and their love and
commitment need to be fully and enthusiastically acknowledged.
What
will I find here? These single visits, I
know, give only a cursory glance - but I can get a flavor.
The
visit:
Well -
this was a pleasant surprise. This is a
very positive, upbeat, prepared, and enthusiastic group of people. It is not hard to see why they have become so
successful and popular.
This
was easily (slam dunk) the best Sunday meeting I have ever attended in my life.
They
appear to have a "bottoms up" way of doing things. There is no high-up person who has decided
that my daughter's saxophone is not as acceptable as his daughter's violin.
There
were two clarinets - three trumpets - a trombone - three violins - one viola -
one cello - and even a tuba - and an alto saxophone - (can be such an
expressive instrument - almost like the voice.) - plus
big-sound pipe organ and piano - and a hundred part choir.
The
meeting began with music - no announcements - not even of each element that was
coming up - just bang bang bang
it went. The words were projected large
on two screens at the front - everyone looking up - no one looking down into a
book. Everyone sang with impressive enthusiasm - a couple of hymns that would
be familiar to us - with all that accompaniment!
Then
after all this wonderful music - everyone on the stage left the stage and took
regular seats. The stage then had only
the music director - who led us in the singing of one verse of several hymns -
with no accompaniment at all - and the harmony was almost like a Tabernacle
Choir. I sang loudly - and did not stick
out.
Then
the music director stepped down - and the minister (young man with a mustache)
stepped up - but began talking in the aisle.
First he said that while we greeted those around us - we could look at
the topic in the program. If we didn’t like
the topic - we might want to sneak out.
There was lots of laughter throughout the talk. His topic was passion in our marriages -
using Song of Solomon as text to draw from.
(Joseph Smith said we could take Song of Solomon out of the Bible and
not really lose anything.)
He
started by talking of a picnic - wherein an alligator came out of the lake -
and promptly bit off the arm of one of the people - and returned to the
lake. They immediately gave attention to
the poor guy who had just lost his arm - and ambulance came - and took him
away. Then they quietly returned to
their picnic lunch, as if nothing had happened.
A visitor among them said, "What is going on? Did I just see an alligator bite off one of
your friends arms?
And you are going on about your business as if nothing had happened?
A man
there took this visitor aside and whispered, "In our society, it is not
polite or acceptable to talk about alligators."
There
are those among you who have lost the passion in your marriage. It is important enough to talk about
openly. Wouldn't you like to have it
back?
Then he
proceeded to talk about the elements that make passion grow and prosper -
mostly about talking to each other.
Using Song of Solomon, he advised, "Tell her she has
beautiful breasts. Why do you think this
example is in the Bible?"
"Don't
be abusive - don’t tell her she's fat. I
have never seen a bride that was not beautiful. (I've seen a few grooms.) However old you are now - she's still your
bride - and you should be interested in having passion with her. And ladies - do not abuse your husbands by
belittling their attempts. That man is
still your groom."
It was
about a half-hour talk - lots of laughter - and lots of silent spots where
people were impressed to think about their marriages. "Men - have you ever done
this?" (describing
a negative action that most of us have done.)
"Ladies - have you ever done this?" (describing another
action most of the ladies had probably done.)
These things are abusive. Learn
not to do them - and replace them with positive statements to your partner
about his or her attractiveness to you.
Passion comes from security and talk.
How she feels about herself is the most important thing for you men to
understand and use.
"Now
you young people - TV, radio - the internet - all around you - people are
telling you that you are unusual or even weird if you save sex for when you are
married. I want you to know that these
are Lies From The PIT of Hell. Nothing is more beautiful than this love saved
for the one you will be committed to all your life."
The
music - the handling of the topic - the enthusiasm and emphasis on beauty
without tops-down restrictions - All this made it obvious why my friend's
daughter's wedding was handled so beautifully.
Last
was the sacrament. The minister said,
"We need twelve men." Twelve
came up to take one sacrament tray each.
There was no prayer - and not much explanation - except to notify
visitors that all who accept Christ are invited to
partake - and that the emblems (tiny hard crackers and little cups) were in
each tray together and would be passed to everyone.
When it
got to me, I took one of the crackers and put it in my mouth - and then picked
up the little cup. Only then did I
notice that I was the only one who had put the cracker in my mouth. (Woops.)
They
waited until everyone had both a cracker and a cup - and then came the meaning
of the emblems - after talking about the broken bread, all took the bread at
once together. (That's with the exception of I, who had already eaten
mine.) Then talk of the wine and it's
meaning - and all took the cup together.
We had held the cup before this for some time as it was being passed to
all the others. Looking down on the red
color had a pretty strong symbolic personality.
It was grape juice.
And
this was the end - we were excused.
The
lady sitting next to me was talking quite a bit to me during the service - to
explain what to do - what each thing meant, etc. After the meeting, she asked what I had
thought of it.
I told
her that the service was breathtakingly beautiful - and that I was now
interested in some of what they believe.
She wanted to know what I meant - so I hit her with a pound or two of
it. (Poor lady.)
"Well
- you see - the Church in which I grew up - teaches some things about God that
are uncomfortable to me."
"Well
- What? - can you tell me some things?"
"Well
- they teach that God sent an angel down to kill all the firstborn of
She was
silent - and, of course, I knew these people believe the same rotten
stuff. That was unfair of me - I should
have waited to talk with the minister. I
am a little over-stimulated in all this.
I'm
afraid it will be difficult to find any full-blown Christian religion (You know
- not counting Unity - or Christian Science), which does not believe these
things of God. This is only the fifth
visit - I have 47 more to go - so who knows what I will learn. This one was a surprise - I had heard they
had a bit of a mean spirit. If so, they
are very good at hiding it. I never saw
such a happy congregation. It's like
every single one was on an upper.
Our
good Bishop Denning told me that he thinks I will learn some interesting things
on my trip - but probably not get basic important answers. I think I agree with that. I'm on a steep learning curve, though, I'm
committed to see it through, and I will return to you a little wiser.
I love
having the little contacts with different ones of you - and still feel loved at
home. You will always be special
people to me.
Let's
get a little more bottoms-up stuff going on in the Church - don’t ask
permission - just try something. If there's
to be bottoms-up - you're it. Just
arrange to have a musical number by Sister or Brother So-and-So - and then show
up with your tenor sax to play "Love at Home." There are few people who will not love
it. Before this tops-down wind
instrument prejudice came about, my two little bothers and I played that song
with clarinet, trombone, and sousaphone.
Freddie was very small - and that sousaphone was very large - and it all
began with laughter - before we played a single note. I was much taller - and had the clarinet.
05 of
52 - Trip Around The Sun – Emanuel Faith Community
Church (Fundamentalist)