“Don’t Tell Lies.”
It’s a late start to my morning. I was awake until 5. I heard the birds and saw the stirrings of the day before I fell asleep. After I woke up, I made my usual call to my sister in Colorado, brewed my coffee, toasted some bread and got comfy. That’s where I am now.
It rained a bit yesterday. The clouds stayed around a while but many are now gone. The sun is out in spots. It is ugly humid. It is hot, 83°. I have no ambition. Even a sloth would envy me. Logy describes me best.
On Sundays in Ghana, the school had a service in the dining hall. The tables were removed and the chairs put into rows. Clerics from town took turns to give the sermon. Sometimes I went. One week my principal asked me to give the sermon. I said yes because she really never asked much from me. I had to think my approach. Hellfire and brimstones weren’t for me. The Jonathan Edwards’ sermon Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God wasn’t either. I was a bit flummoxed. Finally I decided on one of Aesop’s fables. I went with The Boy Who Cried Wolf. I dramatically told the story and feigned horror at the fate of his sheep. My audience stayed attentive the whole time even when I got into the moral of the fable. It was an unusual sermon. I never found out what my principal thought, but she never asked again so I sort of knew.
On the main road at night between Bolga and Tamale, all the goats lie down in middle of the road with traffic on both sides. They never move. They don’t seem to get hit either. I was always amazed.
Goats and sheep and chickens are free range. On the hottest days, the goats would often lie under big lorries, trucks, in the shade. Chickens are everywhere. After a while, I didn’t notice. They were just part of the landscape.
This week four days have uke events. Besides my practice and lesson, we have two concerts. We’re playing The Beatles tomorrow and love songs of the 60’s on Friday. It will be a fun week.
Explore posts in the same categories: MusingsTags: Ghana, goats, humidity, Peace Corps, Sunday sermons
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July 7, 2024 at 3:10 pm
Hi Kat,
Another sunny cool day with a high of only 97°. Anything less than the century mark I consider cool. 🙂
Early tomorrow morning hurricane or tropical storm Beryl will hit the Texas Coast around Corpus Christi. The remnants are forecast to pass to the east of my house. Of course the storm hasn’t even made landfall so things can change. South Texas including the city of Houston will get a deluge from storm.
Wherever I traveled in every country I could always find a TV channel featuring a famous Christian Evangelist. About 25 years ago that evangelist was an applicant for a single pilot exemption in the Cessna Citation airplane. The TV evangelist and I flew together for his exemption and the result was that I failed him. During his recheck the weather was too low to complete the entire check and we stopped at the Greenville Texas airport to await for the cloud deck to rise so we could complete the flight.
While having a coke and standing next to the airplane, a couple of people recognized him and came over to say hello. As soon as he turned towards them, his complete personality and demeanor changed from the pilot to the preacher. As soon as they walked away, he resumed the personality and demeanor of a typical pilot. His ministry is based on prosperity theology and is part of the Word of Faith movement, which teaches that divine favor is expressed in material and financial blessing, and that giving to ministries unlocks this favor. Giving to his ministry certainly has made him extremely wealthy.
July 7, 2024 at 11:37 pm
Hi Bob,
Today was so ugly I turned on my AC for the first time. I was sitting and sweating, and the dogs were panting. The house is wonderful right now. We got into the 80’s for most of the day.
I wouldn’t mind a deluge from the storm, just the wind. We usually don’t have hurricanes until late July and August. The one I remember with the worst damage was Bob, your namesake.
I haven’t ever watched TV evangelists. We don’t have any local. I suspect the Northeast is not a hotbed for prosperity theology. There used to be some aired from other places, but I avoided watching. I do remember Tammy and her make-up.
I suspect that many well known people have different faces and personalities depending on where they are and with whom they’re with. Let’s look at our friend Donald. He is bad enough publicly, but everything we hear about him privately makes even even worst, hard to believe I know.
I am sorry for those people who are duped by the evangelists and by Trump. Most can barely afford it I’m sure.
July 7, 2024 at 11:58 pm
In 1971 or 72, I had a friend who worked at as the news director of a local AM radio station. He suggested that he and I buy 15 minutes of radio time on a 100,000 watt AM clear channel station XERF, the home of Wolfman Jack, in Acuna Mexico, which is just across the river from Eagle Pass Texas. He suggested we produce a right wing Christian radio program proclaiming that Jesus was returning to Texas, and concluding with, “Send your checks to keep this ministry on the air”. I asked brother Art, “How would it go over if the faithful discovered brother Bob was Jewish?” He exclaimed that that was a terrific gambit. Of course, I have something called scruples and turned him down. He never did it because he was just lazy.
July 8, 2024 at 12:28 am
Bob,
That was a clever idea. You might have made enough money to buy your own plane. The public might have remained in the dark the whole time. Now, grifters have taken over!