Since today is Sunday, I’m going to take everyone on a journey of when we were kids, and what Sunday worship was to us. I hope you aren’t in church reading this.. don’t want you to be laughing to loudly! So y’all see where this is going right?
When we were kids, we went to a baptist church considered in the “country” part of my hometown. Well our Pastor had several different churches, and our church had church only on the 2nd Sunday. As kids, we knew that the 2nd Sunday was an all day affair. As a matter of fact, we saved our money until the 2nd Sunday. I’ll explain why in a few. Once we got up and got to church, it was Sunday school, then devotion (now known as worship without all the good singing), then collection, then prayer, then preaching, then collection. And that was only the 1st sermon! There was about an hour break, then came session 2 starting all over again! Now as I’m grown and I’ve discovered God, and all his glories, I wondered what were we doing back in the day?! Well here’s what we were doing…
There were four of us. Me, my sister Nita, and my 2 brothers, Jr. and Rodney. There was my Mom who took us to church, but Daddy was working or home. So Mom had the tedious task of getting us dressed, fed, and out. Then we took that long (back then) haul to the church. We were happy to get there, cause we got a chance to see all the “church kids” that we hadn’t seen in a month! So we all sat together in the back of the church. Now Sunday school, we participated, but after that.. it was “show time”! Now don’t think I’m crazy, cause I know some of y’all remember these times too! Well during devotion, the Deacons would go to the front of the church and bring a chair out with them, kneel and pray. And when I say pray…they prayed!! They prayed a long time!! They prayed so long, the would get up sweating!! So we were in the back of the church almost asleep from our head bowed, and eyes closed so long! But during prayer, we would always get caught looking at each other to make sure eyes were closed. If they weren’t, that was a little laugh, and “close your eyes!” Well then after that Deacon finished, another Deacon did the same thing. So after about an hour, it was choir time. There were ups and downs with the country church choir. When they had a piano player, it was good. Without the piano player.. well.. I’ll just not comment on that! But then came the Pastor! Now when I say, we had the best preacher in town!!! Man, he could preach! He knew that bible, and he preached from it. He would jump on top of the pews, jump on top of the Communion table, and wherever he could get on top of! Now what he was talking about.. we don’t know. We really didn’t pay much attention until he finally got to his “boiling point”, as we called it. That was the time, action was about to begin! (Now this is why we liked church, and the moment we waited for) So we were on look out at the ladies of the church, trying to see who was about to “blow”! We’d see the knees trembling, the hands in the air, the yes-yes-yes, and then…. there it came!! THE SHOUTING!! (as we called it) The ladies would jump up outta their seat, and just fall back down! They were screaming, and jumping like nothing we ever saw, except at church! The Ushers all ran over with their fans, and tried to control them. But then, the wigs flew off! Now that was our time! All us church kids were in the back of the church rolling all over the pews laughing uncontrollably! The dresses would come up and we’d see those stocking rolled up above the knee with a knot in them, and that was even funny! Sometimes, the women would just faint! But there was always an Usher with that little bottle of green stuff to put under thier nose to bring them back! Now I know y’all remember this! (I’m laughing thinking about us back then) But as soon as one lady would calm down, another one started! So that happened every time we went to church!
Now after the 1st sermon, it was our time! The moment we saved our money to go across the street to the house that sold candy to the kids, and was also a bootleg house! Yes, candy and liquor. So during the “intermission” all the kids, and the Deacons were at the Bootleg Candy house. We’d see the Deacons take a big gulp outta the plastic cups, and make that frown..(“y’all know that frown right..lol) So after we all had our fix.. we would all go back to the church for the 2nd sermon. (And I wondered why those Deacons were sweating so bad) And it started all over again, round 2!
Ok, so I hope you got some humor from that, but now I’m looking back and realizing what was really happening. That preacher knew his words, and the Holy Spirit was all over that church. The things those women endured in thier lives, that was their outlet.
That was the time for their spirit to be cleansed, and for the Holy Spirit to get in them, and let out their frustrations. We had no idea! As kids, we went to church because “that was what you were supposed to do.” We didn’t know the bible, we didn’t understand the real meaning of God. We did all the church stuff, but we didn’t “learn”. As an adult when I got to my own worship point in life, I realized there was so much I didn’t know. I was never really taught the bible, and what it meant. So once I discovered that, it opened my eyes to a whole new life! I had so much to learn. And it wasn’t only me, it was all of us. Maybe some of you who are reading this too! I remember me and Jr were at a funeral, and the preacher said, “open your bible to the book of Job (pronounced Jobe),and I did. Jr looked and me and said, “that’s job, he said Jobe”! lol.. So I gave him that “boy you don’t know nothing about the bible look!’ But that let me know, that he was just like I had been. All that time in the church, but didn’t know a thing.
Well this story could go on, and on, but I just wanted to share that in life, you learn and you grow. I’m so glad I went through what I went through as a child, to realize what God was doing back in the day. Also to appreciate his Glory more today. Once I discovered HIM and realized how HE died to save our souls from the sins we committed, I had every reason in the world to worship HIM and to praise HIM. Church has gotten so much better about teaching our children now, so they won’t be adults discovering who God is.
I thank God for you all that share my blog, and I pray for all of you each and every day. I pray blessing and prosperity over your life and the life of anyone in your paths. Thank you for being a part of my life, and I promise to always be uplifting, positive, and keep a smile on your face somewhere!
Love and Hugs..
The “Real” Mommie Teresa
The Real Mommie Teresa 