See Ya In Church!

Okay, I am NOT going to be critical of your clergy; I'll 'pick' on my own Methodist preachers! The Methodist ministers have gotten softer and softer throughout the years. They no longer work up a pulpit-frenzy Sunday mornings, they don't conduct any week-long tent-revival meetings and they quit making 'house-calls.'

Back in the 1940's, Washington Park (East St. Louis) days, I recall a least two sermons a-week when our Preacher-fella got to shoutin' about the fires of eternal HELL! He was pretty convincing about repenting and most folks paid attention. He'd carry-on both Sunday morning and at Wednesday evening Prayer Meetings. Seems as though our Preacher had a lot of buddies traveling the Circuit and consequently, Grace Methodist held at least three week-long Revivals a year. You could make 'book' that any week we held a Revival it would rain all week; I think the Preacher-man had a pack with the Almighty because there ain't nothing like an 'alter-call' about the time of lightening and thunder!

I also remember the Pastor coming to the house often. Sometimes he and his wife would stop by after Church for fried chicken (my Mammy's fried chicken NOT Church's Fried Chicken!) and other times he would stop by on business; always the Lord's business! Our Church would have one of those yearly 'Pledge Canvasses' when members would form 'teams' that would visit folks and request tithing money pledges. Once in awhile the Preacher simply came by to sit a spell and talk but before leaving he would always offer prayer for our family, neighbors and Church. The last time I saw a Methodist Preacher in my house was in the 1980's. It was Reverend Robert Mushrush from the Jacksonville Grace Methodist Church; nice fella and as I recall, we had a nice visit. Today, Preachers are like Doctors...No more house calls; it's all good with me, I recall once when the Doc and Preacher showed up the 'same' day; NOT a Good Sign.

I remember that back in my youth, the pulpit messages made me feel 'uncomfortable' and so did the hard pew benches! Today, we have seat cushions to baby our butts and the sermon is usually a softball topic, which makes me glow inside with a warm fuzzy feeling and that new age 'Rock & Roll' Christian music is far more entertaining than the Women's Temperance Union Choir of 1949 singing, 'Do, Lord, Remember Me.' Although, those old gals, Eula, Bertha and Mary DID get your attention with the gospel hymn, 'The Old Rugged Cross.' Thanks ladies.