5 DEC 05: CHAPEL IN THE POST
Fort Benning held the first services Sunday in its new "Follow Me" Chapel. Well, I'm glad this is finally settled! For years I've wondered who the "Me" is, that soldiers should follow....
The Follow Me Chapel is larger than old chapels at Fort Benning. That's because a nondenominational Sunday service is growing in attendance. So some people want "God Bless Fort Benning" to last more than one day a year.
The nondenominational service at the new chapel offers what's called "contemporary" worship. That means the music is modern, men probably don't wear suits - and they might actually allow you to say "happy holidays" instead of Merry Christmas.
(For those of you unfamiliar with religious language - a nondenominational service does NOT mean they don't accept dollar bills in the offering plate.)
The Follow Me Chapel actually had two worship services Sunday. In addition to the nondenominational service, there was a Roman Catholic mass. The schedule could expand once Third Brigade soldiers come home - because a few might want to pray toward Mecca five times a day.
You may recall the Catholic chapel at Fort Benning burned down in a 2001 fire. Now there's a place to hold mass again, but Protestant groups probably will hand out tracts on post - their own subtle "weapons of mass destruction."
The Sunday services at Follow Me chapel supposedly are open to anyone, whether you're a Fort Benning soldier or not. But if you see Roy Bourgeois show up at the Catholic service to lead communion, should you call an M.P.?
While Fort Benning has a new "Follow Me" chapel, churches all over Columbus invite soldiers to attend. A check through the Yellow Pages shows all sorts of groups have classes for Rangers, and that is.... no wait. The Assemblies of God "Royal Rangers" are for children.
The Yellow Pages ad for Trinity Temple specifically boasts of being "convenient to Fort Benning." Are they kidding - 30th Street and 12th Avenue is "convenient?" It's at least a five-mile drive from the Main Gate. Maybe if you hit all the traffic lights on Victory Drive just right....
Then there's Calvary Baptist Church, with an ad calling itself "the military's home away from home." First of all, I thought that's why they had veterans' lodges and Officer's Clubs....
But anyway: Calvary Baptist Church is located on Old Moon Road near J.R. Allen Parkway. I suppose some Fort Benning personnel might travel all the way there - the high-ranking ones approaching retirement, who actually make a living wage.
Now let's recess, for other notes from a Sunday when the forecasters predicting all-day showers had it all wrong:
+ Columbus broke a record, with a high temperature of 80 degrees F. This warm wave probably won't last - but someone should have set up an ice cream cone eating contest, just to make folks up north jealous.
+ "Mix 96.7 FM" in Auburn-Opelika unveiled a new commercial, comparing itself to peanut butter. OK, I guess this makes sense - but they didn't say if the music is creamy or chunky.
+ Bowl Championship Series "Selection Sunday" confirmed Georgia will meet West Virginia in the Sugar Bowl. Georgia's Bulldogs are known as the Dawgs. West Virginia's Mountaineers are known as - well, what, the Ears?
(Auburn will play Wisconsin January 2, in the "Capital One Bowl" at Orlando. I've never quite understood this game. If it's a "Capital" bowl in Florida, they should play it in Tallahassee.)
+ Instant Message to Alge Crumpler of the Atlanta Falcons: This has nothing to do with Sunday's loss to Carolina - but do you plan to do any commercials for the new Georgia Aquarium? Most people probably don't know the proper spelling of algae, anyway....
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