BELL RINGING
In the small Kansas town, where I grew up, most of my early pre-teen social life centered around the church, and the MYF (Methodist Youth Fellowship). Of course, there were grade school social events as well, but the biggies were with the church.
There were pancake suppers (or were they breakfasts?), fund raising events such as Paper Drives (now we call it recycling) and even an occasional film with religious themes like the life of Martin Luther and the Diet of Worms. You can imagine my surprise when I learned this was not about eating worms or dieting for that matter.
In the Summertime, we had Bible school for two weeks, where we learned crafts like making paperweights and (yes) basket weaving as well as studying the good book.
I remember the choir (of wish I was a member) did our version of Handle's Messiah around Easter after weeks of practicing. Also, the Nativity was staged at Christmas along with appropriate songs such as "Away in a Manger" and "Silent Night."
There was one "holiday" however with which I had a problem.
On every New Years Eve, there was a party for the MYF in the church annex. Various games were played and refreshments were served. But shortly before midnight, everyone retired to the church sanctuary for a short sermon and prayer.
And that was my problem. The MYF gang always rang the church bell to herald in the New Year. But we were always in prayer at the stroke of midnight! I could not understand why God wanted us to wait till after twelve. Why couldn't we pray a little sooner or at least a little faster?
This was undoubtedly my introduction to bureaucracy!
There were pancake suppers (or were they breakfasts?), fund raising events such as Paper Drives (now we call it recycling) and even an occasional film with religious themes like the life of Martin Luther and the Diet of Worms. You can imagine my surprise when I learned this was not about eating worms or dieting for that matter.
In the Summertime, we had Bible school for two weeks, where we learned crafts like making paperweights and (yes) basket weaving as well as studying the good book.
I remember the choir (of wish I was a member) did our version of Handle's Messiah around Easter after weeks of practicing. Also, the Nativity was staged at Christmas along with appropriate songs such as "Away in a Manger" and "Silent Night."
There was one "holiday" however with which I had a problem.
On every New Years Eve, there was a party for the MYF in the church annex. Various games were played and refreshments were served. But shortly before midnight, everyone retired to the church sanctuary for a short sermon and prayer.
And that was my problem. The MYF gang always rang the church bell to herald in the New Year. But we were always in prayer at the stroke of midnight! I could not understand why God wanted us to wait till after twelve. Why couldn't we pray a little sooner or at least a little faster?
This was undoubtedly my introduction to bureaucracy!
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