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11 SEP 04: REMEMBER US?
"I was going to ask what day it is," said the middle-aged woman with an open checkbook at a bread store today, "but how could you forget what day this is?" She couldn't - which amazingly puts her several steps ahead of the city of Columbus....
Governor Sonny Perdue called for all flags at Georgia state buildings to fly at half-staff today. But exactly two years after its dedication, September 11th found the big flag outside the Columbus Civic Center at the top of the pole. Did Mayor Poydasheff ever get home from his wedding anniversary trip, to take charge of these things?
One mile down the street, Carl Gregory Dodge flew its flag at half-staff. Yet the only difference I noticed by the city of Columbus was a ten-minute delay in the Saturday midday siren test. Considering Bob Riley suggested people in his state stop at noon for prayer, perhaps this IS the gateway to Alabama.
(Yes, I noticed the flag all the way up the pole at tonight's Georgia Tech-Clemson game. But I'd expect that sort of behavior at a bastion of "liberal academia," even in the South.)
But back to the bread store across town: a woman behind the counter there recalled the September 11th attacks and said, "It's gonna happen again. I'm sure of it." That's a scary thought - but at least none of the bread in this store was sealed with duct tape.
I found out too late about Thursday night's downtown prayer service, so I didn't go this year. After all, the congregation I attend had a weekly service today ON the actual day. And knowing this group, some members might give fallen soldiers a 21-gun salute in the parking lot.
Yet I somehow had a funny feeling all day this worship service wouldn't go according to form. For one thing, the Pastor went ahead with a planned "weekend off" after the attack three years ago. And he just finished a two-week vacation on the west coast - while the rest of us will have to take ours during an upcoming church convention.
My suspicions were confirmed as the service went along. The Pastor led a prayer for September 11th and hurricane victims during announcement time - then came back for a sermon on "The Importance of Right Eating." Right eating?! As if a good breakfast will make you less likely to keep the murder and stealing commandments?
The Pastor admitted he was "preaching to the choir" with his message - and indeed he was. A big crowd was on hand for this service, but I quickly concluded the extra visitors were NOT there to think about September 11th. They were on hand for the big church dinner afterward.
Yes, our congregation chose September 11th for a big annual "sit-down dinner." Which is strange to me, because we never have any stand-up dinners....
(Well, then again we HAVE had stand-up dinners a time or two. After dinner, I did a short stand-up comedy routine.)
I was asked to bring wine to the church dinner. Yes, we DO believe it's OK to drink in moderation - but I tend not to do it. When you're a single guy like me, YOU are the designated driver.
I bought a big bottle of Livingston burgundy wine for the church dinner - only to bring it in and find at least four others with the same label on the wine table. We strive to be united as a congregation in all we do. So apparently we all figured
out which bottle of wine was the best bargain at Winn-Dixie.
A fellow single man pointed out something I hadn't noticed as the dinner ended. He said someone brought the same jug of wine for the third year in a row! I never dare to do this, when people don't touch the brownies I bring....
"It's been two years, and we still haven't emptied this," said the other man of a jug of Carlo Rossi Blush. He told me the first time it was brought, it wasn't even opened. It was opened last year -- and now it was about one-quarter full. Yet I'd guess a Baptist holds the world record, for the longest time taken to empty a wine bottle.
The dinner was very nice, from elegant place settings to strawberry cheesecake - yet I was still puzzled as I drove home tonight. Why didn't my Pastor present a sermon tied to what he calls the "modern-day Pearl Harbor?" Did he somehow
forget this - or did he present a message on eating because he's been fasting for days?
Lest I pick on my own congregation: Glenn Anthony Baptist Church picked September 11th to hold its "AWANA Kickoff Luau." If the Muslim terrorists had won, we wouldn't be eating luaus - at least not with pork as the main dish....
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