Going to Church Part II

I WENT TO CHURCH, as I had previously indicated my intention of doing. (see: "Going To Church" Part I, below). Altogether, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The building is located deep in the Ozark woods, amid splendid scenery consisting of green wooded rolling hills. That in itself made the adventure worthwhile.The nineteenth century structure entirely of brick was charming,with a small dining room,and a large outdoor pavillion next to it, open air, with a metal roof and a nice large barbecue smoker. I can only imagine some of the wild parties they have had there. The congregation consisted of about fifteen people, which I was told was unusually large, mostly older folks. This Presbyterian church cannot survive more than another few years. I predict that I will outlive it. The pleasant minister made a joke about the sparse conregation. Iwondered whether he makes the same joke every week. Perhaps I will find out. I formed an immediate connection with the minister, an older gentleman who was quite pleasant to me. He indicated that he had undertaken the ministry late in life, in middle age. I do not know what his formal theologocial credentials are, if any. He said he had attened law school, so I assumed his first and primary profession had been the law. That's where our connection began. He graduated law schhol at the same university where my father did, many years befor he, and the same university where I completed my doctorate and taught for many years. We traded stories about one of the law professors, one of the most esteemed legal minds in the country. My new ministerial friend was honored to have studied under this renowned scholar, as I am honored to have known him, and to have been his friend, through my father, who also idolized him. I'd go back to this church if only for the scenery, for the quaint, immaculately clean tastefully decorated church, and to spend time with my new found friend. His sermon was obviously impromptu. He rambled from topic to topic in a disorganized fashion, talking off the "top of his head",combining personal anecdotes with messages relating to the matter at hand, the Christian faith, and its redemptive possibilities. Very positive in tone. Sure, he said a few things I disagreed with, but too few to mention. He probably assumes that I am a Christian, rather than a person who is not only not religious, but who generally has contempt for religion. My guess is that he would be cool with the idea that one can love Jesus and God without embracing the supernatural dogma, without anthropomorphizing God,and without any belief that God speaks to us in books and stories. The essential message of Joshua ben Joseph (Jesus) is sublime, with only a modicum of barbarity, and can be embracedand valued by anybody, regardless of personal religious beliefs or lack thereof. This, despite what any fervant mentally ill Christian might claim. I did not like the way the collection plate was passed. Rather than passing it from pew to pew, a lady approached every congragant, and practically shoved it in faces, as if demanding a contribution. Not good. A prominently placed adonation box would accomplish the same purpose, and make donating more voluntary, less mandatory, eliminating possible embarrassment for non contributors, embarressment likely being the intended objective, as punishment for non contriubtors. Payment under pressure. All churches pass the plate. In my opinion, the practice should be modified. I borrowed a couple of bucks, and dropped it in the plate. (later,I paid my friend back) But, best of all, the minster made no mention of either eternal damnation in hell, or of being saved by washing away one's sins in the shed blood of Christ, concepts which I find primtive,bararbic, evil, insane,fictional, mentally ill. I wonder whether he ever does that, preaches nonsense. I hope not. If he doesn't,I might go back. But, as Confucius, an intellectual equal of Jesus who predated him by five hundred years and from whom Jesus may have borrowed heavily, said: "Only fools predict the future.