Today was probably the best Sunday School class I have ever attended, by far. Michael and I were running late and I went barreling into the parish hall and stopped in astonishment. Our usual 8-12 people had grown and there were probably 30 people sitting there, chairs in a giant circle. I had completely forgotten, but we were starting a new program.
My church is so tiny, all the adults just gather in the parish hall for Sunday School. Breaking down into smaller groups would be sort of silly. So we do "seminars" sort of, for a few weeks or months.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the church. So it's the Jubilee year, and Sunday School reflects that. For the next several Sundays, in class, different parishioners are sharing their stories about how St. Bede's has transformed their lives. Today, we heard from 3 people who have been members of the church for a long time.
There is something fascinating and compelling about sitting in a group and listening to people tell stories of important events in their lives. The whole experience was fascinating.
The first speaker, I'll call Mr. S, is from South Carolina originally, and I could tell from his accent. He is 88 years old, and sharp as a tack. He told about living through the Depression and working very hard to make his own money for college, starting at 12 years old, delivering newspapers. He had no religious instruction as a child, but found God when he was in the Pacific in World War II, and his ship nearly sunk. Back then, servicemen were given a tiny New Testament, small enough to fit easily in their pocket. He started reading it, found comfort, and started his spiritual journey. When he got home, after 4 years at war, his girlfriend had waited for him and they got married. She was a staunch Episcopalian and steered him the same way. He spoke about the early days of the church, but the personal part of his story was most fascinating. At one point he choked up, talking about his ordeal in the Pacific.
The other two speakers were also very impressive, but neither was quite as interesting as Mr. S, in my book.
Our handout contained a number of interesting quotes, but here is one that has resonated with me all day. It's from Alice Walker, who wrote The Color Purple:
Tell the truth, have you ever found God in a church? I never did. I just found a bunch of folks hoping for him to show. Any God I ever felt in church I brought in with me. And I think all the other folks did too. They come to church to share God, not find God.
The rest of the day was pretty uneventful, except for Michael and Colton's antics late this afternoon. I won't go into details, but they were horsing around at one of the neighbor's houses, and Michael got chewed out.
13, 14, or 15 are all hard ages. You're not a kid, but you're not an adult either. You don't have a rule book for how to act. I remember getting into some huge disputes in those years. I was frustrated and at loose ends. I couldn't wait to grow up.
On a completely different note, I have a feeling of optimism about this week, and my job situation. Y'all pray for me, or keep praying...
