Hell Hath No Scorn Like A Voters Meeting

I think I sat through today the longest voters meeting I have ever sat through, ever. I still do not remember whether the one meeting I went to at Trinity in Norman, OK was longer (it might have made it to the four hour mark) but this meeting definitely helped me break my record for wearing a suit and tie. Nine hours in a tie. This from a guy who, after four, finds it constricting. While the Terrible Swede (still on probation) had told me that there were divisions in the church between the pastor and some people within the congregation, and I knew the differences were bad (one of our staff members resigned recently), I did not know how bad the abuse against our pastor would be. I was amazed by much of what was being said about our pastor. As someone who has a pastor in the family and a DCE, I have seen what a divisive congregation can do to a pastor's health and well-being. While I sit here, I get angrier thinking about it. I know all too well how a congregation can take a pastor and rip him apart. Todd Wilken once even mentioned a pastor had to be committed because of a congregation. There will be many prayers said tonight for my pastor and for his accusers.

After the nightmare that was the voters meeting, I went home. My radio was tuned to NPR. Yes, I do listen to NPR. There happens to be two NPR stations in the area. One is out of Wichita and plays, most of the time, NPR talk which, if I listen, just makes my blood pressure rise. The other station plays mostly classical music and rarely has any of the talk stations. They do carry the best talk show on NPR: Car Talk. Most everything else talk and news related on NPR I would wipe my butt with if I could. Anyway, I had the radio tuned to the NPR station I like (mostly music) and the program Pipe Dreams was on. An organist was playing a theme and variation on Ein Feist Burg and then they went to seven different settings of the hymn O Come, O Come, Immanuel. There is nothing to relax the body and soothe the soul like listening to good organ music. God's transcendence comes through so clear with that loveliest of instruments.

On another piece of good news, I have reached my first weight goal. For the first time in almost four years, I am back under 200 pounds. The next stop is 190.