Jerry was the first person I knew who refused to sing a hymn based on its lyrics. He’d scan a hymn for the words, then be quiet if he disagreed. I knew this, not only because he told me why he wouldn’t sing, but also because all of the teens sat together in church, so we knew one another’s oddities.
Dissent was not something I was comfortable poking at, so I never discussed with Jerry what he did believe. Not until college did I begin to learn apologetics, a defense for the faith. I didn’t have much use for it, swimming in that evangelical world, nor was I—as a peace-loving, shy girl— especially interested in being on God’s legal team. Another problem I had with Jerry was that he sounded so definite and logical and right about things. Before crossing a busy four-lane highway, he once said, “Walk out in front of them. They’ll stop.” And because he had a hard-working guardian angel, no car’s brakes failed, and we dashed across Waterloo Road safely. Jerry was one-third of the group of guys who were two years my junior; not until I was halfway through my time in youth group were we in the group together. I cared about all three of them; even then I was prone to interfering with others’ spiritual lives, for their own good. One night the three of them came in late to youth group and silly to a disruptive degree. After the hour ended, I lectured them about both flaws, trying to point out their stupidity. “Come on, guys, use your noodle,” I begged. And that sent Jerry off into more laughter. “Yeah, guys, use your noodle!” he encouraged. Ever naïve, it would be years before I figured out that the three of them knew more slang for male anatomy than I did and that they had been drinking before showing up late.
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Baptist GirlI was a conservative Baptist girl who grew up to become a career Christian, working first in a Baptist school and then in a Baptist college. For about three decades, it was very good until it wasn’t, and I had to leave. But the Baptists formed me. This is my homage to the good times and good people of the world I left, finally, at forty-three, when I became an Episcopalian. These are my memories; others might disagree with my recollections. So be it. Archives
January 2024
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