Many years ago as the "Professional Christian" at the Jefferson Street Baptist Chapel in the inner city of Louisville, Kentucky, Ken Sehested head of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America was the "special preacher".
He did a great job that morning.I don't recall anything he said.
But I didn't have to preach ... which is not the same as a day off ... but close.
Afterwards we took our visiting dignitary out for Sunday lunch at the inner city Howard Johnson's Restaurant ... which was quite excellent given the other inner city options ... White Castle and Oscartag's (believe me you do not want to know about Oscartag's!)
"What'll y'all have to drink?" the waitress asks.
"I'll have a beer ," I say.
Ken grins.
"Me too," he nods.
When the frosty mugs arrive, we toast as horrified Deacons look on and Ken says ... "Ah! The best beers are the ones after you preach!"
A couple of Deacons order beer.
Damn visiting dignitaries!
How come people listen to them and not the day-in/day-out guy?
I'm going to let you in on a religious secret.
The only reason revivals exists in America is so preachers can help other preachers supplement their incomes.
"You invite me and I'll invite you," is the how the game is played.
It's a lot like, you show me yours and I'll show you mine.
"Friends! We're doing a love offering now for Brother Bert who came all this way to deliver God's word to us today."
Brother Bert lives 5 miles away.
I must confess as the one who invited Brother Bert to preach revival in the first place ... and as the one who initiated the love offering for Brother Bert ... and had conducted a magnificent marketing campaign of putting posters of "Bert and Ernie" in homeless shelters, porn shops and the projects with the tag ..."Want to meet the real Bert?" ... that Bert invited me to preach revival at his church too.
It's a game.
But Bert's was a most spectacular revival!
Meaning lots of homeless guys and prostitutes wanted to meet Bert!
He was horrified!
But we had a good crowd.
The Deacons and I took Bert to the inner city Howard Johnson's after his great revival sermon ... that none of us remember ... and order beer.
"You're drinking beer on Sunday?" Bert asks.
"You ever had one after you preach?"
"No," he confesses.
"It's time," the Deacons and I affirm.
So he did.
I haven't heard from him since.
Though Ken and I've kept up.
So anyway ... after Bar Church yesterday ... the beer was good.
But Bar Church was much better.
