Honestly such things happen all the time.
Simple disagreements fester until they become ... a schism ... a split or division between two or more parties caused by differences of opinion or belief.
There's a lot of great schisms in religious history ... Catholics and the Orthodox ... Protestants and Catholics ... Evangelicals and the Social Gospel ... Southern Baptists and everybody!
It was just a few years ago the Baptist Church on Tybee refused to participate in the Easter Sunrise Service with the other Churches on the Pier hosting their own in their own parking lot!
This one was stupid too ... occurring right here ... in this Bar.
After a couple of years of leading Bar Church from an idea to reality, Sam needed a break and he knew it. Reaching out, he began exploring ways to share the load and eventually turn over the leadership.
Unfortunately none of his efforts pan out ... in part because he's so popular and loved ... but also because he can't quite bring himself to let go.
Then the Sunday came he just can't do it anymore so ... he doesn't.
He'd told a select few he was done and there was a scurry of behind-the-scenes communication attempting to convince someone or another to be present when Sam didn't show.
"You may want to be there with your guitar," is how the message came, "It's gonna shock a lot of people."
And it was.
He doesn't show.
No one knows what to do but, it being a Church and all, several members stand up and share from the Bible ... their hearts ... as they worry about their founder.
During the following days it becomes apparent Sam's not returning.
On the Pier ... on a hot, sticky night almost 20 people gather to talk with my wife Sarah and me about "stepping in and taking charge" for a while.
Honestly it's the last thing we want.
Sarah and I had already been part of Bar Church taking off, first at the Wind Rose, and later as part of the Band at Benny's.
That had been a wonderful and fulfilling time but it had gotten too big so Sam decided to scale back and we were asked to not be part of the music any longer.
It was a bit hurtful and we became occasional "special guests" at Bar Church which suited us fine.
"Will you take it over?" they ask on the Pier that night.
Sam himself had asked me the same thing months earlier as I stroll to the Beach loaded with my chair, music, book and a cooler full of beer.
Pulling beside me in his dirty white van, flashing his million dollar smile, he tells me to get in ... we need to talk ... and he tells me God's calling him elsewhere and for me to take over Bar Church.
"Nope," I reply. "Not gonna do it. Let me out."
Of course he didn't let me out but drives around the island telling me what God had told him I'm supposed to do.
"Tell you what," I say when the beer is gone. "I'll pray about it."
"That's what I'm talking about!" Sam gleefully snaps as he takes me home.
Several months later he leaves and Sarah and I are sitting on the Pier with hot, humid people asking us to do something we really don't want.
And it wasn't as though I was a unanimous or popular choice because I was blogging every day and lots of folks take issue with things I write ... I cuss ... am profane ... and have a reputation full of good and bad.
Still they ask.
"Will you do it?"
Sarah and I look deeply into each other eyes and she gives the slightest of nods.
"Okay," I say. "I'll do it until you find somebody else."
That was almost four years ago.
Obviously I've grown to love and adore this simple little gathering of worshipers in a Bar and in all this time there's really only been one awful moment.
When the schism took place.
Out of nowhere, Sam suddenly wants to return ... not as the leader but ... I'm still not quite certain what he wanted to be ... perhaps the guide but not the one doing the heavy lifting anymore.
Sarah and I do things differently from Sam and over time, his ways are replaced by ours ... and he doesn't like it.
"You have deceived me," he writes.
Then he calls for a business meeting after Church one Sunday.
We're finishing up the service with "Knocking on Heaven's Door" and Sam's sitting in the congregation dressed in white and I press him to join us on stage. He declines until everyone begs him to ... so he does ... playing the keyboard and singing a verse or two.
Everyone's happy ... wondering if this is the last time our beloved Sam will be in Bar Church, lots of people grab their phone and take pictures as we sing ... and, for once anyway, it was a great ending to a service.
Afterwards, all Hell breaks loose!
The meeting begins and Sarah gives a detailed report on the finances when Sam asks for the floor.
He's angry, speaking loudly and accusatory towards Sarah ... who matches his passion and the two stand confronting one another ... things get out of hand for a moment ... until Davy jump in between the two ... and people call for calm.
Sam storms to the back of the Bar, ranting and raving ... talking about music equipment that's his and not the Church's ... before he finally storms out, crossing Butler and either praying or cursing the Heaven's ... maybe both.
I'd sat quiet through all of this ... much to the chagrin of my wife, whose the one fighting back as Sam's saying not-so-nice things about me.
Let me confess it is not my nature to keep quite.
I've spent most of my years on the attack ... mostly for righteous things ... homeless people, those with AIDS, the sick ... certainly those I love ... but through the years became satisfied my actions were louder than words and fighting typically makes things worse and ... somehow, though I have no idea how ... things work out right even if everything seems wrong.
After Sam leaves, everyone's upset though we try to finish the business meeting he'd wanted and stormed out of, and a feeling of ... "we can get beyond this" ... seems to settle in the Bar.
In the following weeks, many people decide to leave too.
Bar Church is no longer for them.
And Sarah and I work through many feelings about ourselves, giving too much away to others who may not want it, and what is it we're supposed to do.
Since that day, Sam's returned several times, and has always been greeted with open arms, words of thanks for starting our little congregation, and invited to play, sing and say whatever he wants.
And he always takes us up on the invitation.
Sarah rarely attends because of the smoke and our girls though she works tirelessly behind the scenes.
And Bar Church has changed into a revolving congregation mysteriously held together by Mary Nettles ... Sam Sahr ... brave believers willing to search for Holiness in the unlikeliest of places ... musicians who are called to give away their songs ... tourists ... those needing food to sober up ... a few unwilling to give up on religion after Church has beaten the Hell out of them.
People think we're crazy to do this though we stick with it.
But it seems to me that God has displayed us Apostles at the end of the day, and we march like prisoners destined for death row ... we are a spectacle to the whole world ... both Angels and men ... We are fools for Christ' sake ... (1 Corinthians 4:9-10)
These are the words of St. Paul to Corinth, the greatest of the first Churches which had fallen into fighting factions bordering on splitting up into different congregations ... a great schism!
Paul goes on to say, to paraphrase, "Y'all just and be cool. You're the best thing happening. God loves you. Show it back by loving each other. Keep on keeping on!"
They don't listen to him of course so Paul has to visit and try to straighten things out, which he doesn't so he writes them another letter, which doesn't help either so he returns again ... which apparently is as useless as his first visit ... and scholars say he writes two more letters which no one at Corinth bothered to keep because ... they are fighting ... and enjoying the fights.
Unlike us ... Bar Church simply continues doing what we do ... getting together ... always late ... needing or bringing food ... drinking coffee ... saying "The Lord's Prayer" out loud cause no one can think of a way to improve on it ... grateful for musicians who come to share regardless of their motives ... enjoying the quirkiness of what we do ... laughing at ourselves and sometimes other too ... giving what we can ... not asking for much in return.
Maybe there's been some miffed feelings along the way but I can't recall one fight or challenge to do things different or better.
All of that to say, we've come a long way baby ... though we're not going anywhere or doing anything much different than before ... certainly not by growing ... which seemed to be the major problem at Corinth and most other Churches too.
And today I want to thank God ... and you ... for that!
It's best to not let worship get caught up in the travesties of religion ... as we simply try to mainline with something bigger than ourselves ... with no thought of anything else.
We really do what those first Churches did before they got big and famous.
I hope we keep it this way.
Foolishly Cool!
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