Dear Jimmy,
Well, nobody can say if it’s not in the bulletin it doesn’t happen at Bluebell Baptist, that’s for sure. Truth be told, I like a measure of predictability. Still, when somethin’ unexpected happens, like it did this past Sunday, it can get folks fired up, so to speak.
It being Palm Sunday, Mrs. Mary Merritt went all out. The children started practicin’ weeks ago on this new song she ordered just for that day. The idea was that after the congregation sang “Hosanna, Loud Hosanna” and the pastor read about the people spreadin’ palm branches from the Bible in the road that the children would come marchin’ down the center aisle singin’ and wavin’ these tall palm branches dressed like Bible times. The children, I mean. I recon palm branches dress pretty much the same now as then.
Jim White
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Anyhow, the children practiced and practiced and they had it just about perfect. They all knew just where to stand and wave their palms and finish singin’ their wonderful little song. At just the right time the doors busted open and these adorable little tykes dressed in flowin’ robes and head coverin’s marched in two by two singin’ their little hearts out and just a-wavin’ their palms for all they were worth.
Without hesitatin’ a mite, Mary had them trained to go right to their appointed places in the front which they did still singin’ and wavin’ to beat the band. Just like they practiced. Except for one thing. When they practiced, nobody thought about the candles on the Lord’s Supper table bein’ lit. Which they were.
Well, the first thing we knew the preacher’s active little boy, who was really gettin’ into the wavin’, caught his palm on fire. For a couple of measures the song continued like nothin’ out of the ordinary was goin’ on while little Christian, that’s the boy’s name, by this time was holdin’ a torch which he commenced to swingin’ wildly in a panicked attempt to put out the blaze. Well, Mary made a headlong dive into the middle of her choir to wrestle the palm away before somebody got burned, but not before a few flaming fronds, separated from the branch by the frantic wavin’, floated out over the choir.
As you can imagine, the children’s choir went into hysterics and the congregation issued a mighty gasp in unison. And the adult choir, includin’ myself in the soprano section, got preoccupied with just where those burnin’ palm fronds would settle. Fortunately, all but one burned out harmlessly and descended as mere ashes. Unfortunately for Bennie Bush, however, one still had flame enough to ignite his wig. He wasn’t foolin’ anybody anyway with that awful-lookin’ rug perched a-top of his head. It was kinda the church secret that we all knew but didn’t talk about. Much anyway. But what we didn’t know was what a blaze it would create if it ever caught fire — which on this occasion, it surely did.
I was looking back at the basses keepin’ the burnin’ palm in sight when it all happened so quick if I’d a-blinked I’d a-missed it. The ember landed square on the top of Bennie’s head and I saw this little flash like, followed by Bennie’s boomin’ voice shoutin’ “Oh, my Lord!” And quick as a wink he jerked that blazin’ toupee from off his head and sent it arcin’ back into the baptistery where it hissed and sizzled in the water before it went out.
By this time Mary had the palm fire under control and her helpers had corralled the stampeding children and Bennie sat there lookin’ like a mouse at a cat convention. Kinda like he mighta looked if he’d just realized he’d left his pants at home.
Our first concern, of course, was to make sure nobody was hurt — especially Bennie Bush who was still in a state of shock. Miraculously, except for his pride, he was uninjured. The children, too, escaped harm, praise the Lord!
But after we were all sure everybody was OK, things got real quiet. At first, nobody, includin’ the preacher, Brother Bobby who kept lookin’ his boy over for burn marks, knew what to say. Nothin’ seemed quite the right thing to say so everybody just stayed still — includin’ your ornery Uncle Orley who somehow overcame the temptation to call out “You know, I’ve heard about Moses all my life but this is the first time I’ve ever come to church and actually seen a burnin’ bush!” He resisted until a little later, I mean.
But, that silence, embarrassing at first, became very comfortable and even sacred in a way after a few moments. We all were grateful to God that everybody was safe, but somethin’ more happened, too. It’s hard to explain, but somehow Bennie’s voice shoutin’ “Oh, my Lord!” seemed still to hang in the air. And it seemed to remind us that life is often a series of surprises and shocks. Out of nowhere the unexpected happens.
Like Bennie, I guess, if we know the Lord, our first thought is to call out to him. From our surprises and our shocks and our sins and our confusion and even our doubts, we cry out “Oh, my Lord!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”
Well, after a bit the service went on although the children passed on the chance to sing again. But after our little unexpected excitement, we were all a little more aware that the Lord was there and that he hears us when we cry out to him. Hosanna and Amen.
I hope you will come see us and stay over and worship with us on Sunday. After all, you never know what might happen at Bluebell Baptist.
With Love, Aunt Ida
Jim White is editor of the Religious Herald.