It was a wonderful and peaceful Sunday. As is my custom, "Acoustic Cafe" was on the radio and it was a peaceful easy feeling all of the way around. I was finally home and enjoying the hell out of it which is about as holy as it gets. Then the phone rang.
"Where the hell are you?" Dedra snared into my ear.
"Home," I calmly replied.
"Well, Sam just introduced you to preach at Bar Church."
Samuel Adams, who plays damn good live music on Tybee Island, was also having a special Bar Church service at Pirate Fest. The service was taking place on the main stage where bands had been playing all weekend. Of course I knew about this and had even helped Sam design the special Bar Church tee shirt for Pirate's Fest by coming up with the tag ... "Where Wenches Sing Hymns".
That was a moment of divine creativity.
Unlike this moment as Dedra sounded like a demonic dragon breathing fire into my ear.
"I'm sure that God told told Sam that I would preach at Bar Church today," I replied, still mellow in the morning, "but God obviously forgot to tell me."
"FINE!" Dedra said hanging up on me so that she could better focus on worshiping Jesus.
I turned up the radio listening to a really fine version of "Sweet Melissa" by the Allman Brothers ... re-embracing my paganism.
It is true that I am an ordained Southern Baptist Minister, occasionally preach at Bar Church, have written several religious books, once spoke at the Southern Baptist Convention and toured around for a while doing such stuff, went to Seminary and graduated twice, was a "Professional Christian" for eight years, and even had a three-piece suit for a little while (that's a whole other story) ... so to quote "Jesus Christ Superstar" ... "One thing I'll say for him, Jesus is cool" and I really do believe that ...
... but I also appreciate the finer aspects of Paganism. I like the Druids who danced naked in the woods. Buddhism is awful compelling. Jewish story telling is among the finest. And the Tao belief system of water dripping on a rock is pretty powerful. Then there is the whole pantheism thing where God is in everything so staring at the ocean or Fran's thousand shades of green becomes a worship service. It's all good stuff!
Over time, I've grown to appreciate the aspects of other belief systems and have incorporated many of the elements into what I believe.
I know, I know ... there are a lot of people who say that is only one way to be saved and they can have that way. I think holiness is achieved on a daily basis if we work at it and religious services may, but probably not, have much to do with it.
Sam called me later and God apparently got back to him after I didn't show at Pirate Fest Bar Church to preach to say the service was better without me anyway. God had already told me this so Sam and I said how much we love one another and wished the other "Peace" and promised to pray for Dedra who obviously has anger issues.
Then I fell back in the arms of the loveliest of Sunday mornings.
ARRRRRMMMEEENNNN!!!!
