Ex-Church of Christ Support Board

C of C folks are notorious about showing deference to preachers and families they deem to be more holy than the rest of us.
I remember so many times, people would mention a preacher or respected editor as if we were all supposed to know them and hang on their every word. As in, "We remember when Brother Flavil T. Fartblossom taught about blah, blah, blah..."

A guy I know led the singing at a church and was replaced last-minute as leader for their Gospel Meeting with a big-name preacher. He found out when it was announced. One of the biddies told him afterward, "You can't expect that they'd let YOU lead for someone like Brother Turd Ferguson."

Not everyone falls for that, though. The granddaughter of a well-known C of C preacher began attending our church, along with her family. The old-line C of C'ers gushed over them. That sort of stopped when they realized the granddaughter and family didn't want to be treated like royalty, just regular folks. Also, they realized people were sucking up to them in order to make themselves seem more holy.

I never sucked up to anyone else at church---I was too busy kissing my own butt and sucking up to myself to to do that to anyone else.

Struggler wrote:C of C folks are notorious about showing deference to preachers and families they deem to be more holy than the rest of us.
I remember so many times, people would mention a preacher or respected editor as if we were all supposed to know them and hang on their every word. As in, "We remember when Brother Flavil T. Fartblossom taught about blah, blah, blah..."

A guy I know led the singing at a church and was replaced last-minute as leader for their Gospel Meeting with a big-name preacher. He found out when it was announced. One of the biddies told him afterward, "You can't expect that they'd let YOU lead for someone like Brother Turd Ferguson."

Not everyone falls for that, though. The granddaughter of a well-known C of C preacher began attending our church, along with her family. The old-line C of C'ers gushed over them. That sort of stopped when they realized the granddaughter and family didn't want to be treated like royalty, just regular folks. Also, they realized people were sucking up to them in order to make themselves seem more holy.

After reading all of this I feel the need to take a shower.

Ivy wrote:

Struggler wrote:C of C folks are notorious about showing deference to preachers and families they deem to be more holy than the rest of us.
I remember so many times, people would mention a preacher or respected editor as if we were all supposed to know them and hang on their every word. As in, "We remember when Brother Flavil T. Fartblossom taught about blah, blah, blah..."

A guy I know led the singing at a church and was replaced last-minute as leader for their Gospel Meeting with a big-name preacher. He found out when it was announced. One of the biddies told him afterward, "You can't expect that they'd let YOU lead for someone like Brother Turd Ferguson."

Not everyone falls for that, though. The granddaughter of a well-known C of C preacher began attending our church, along with her family. The old-line C of C'ers gushed over them. That sort of stopped when they realized the granddaughter and family didn't want to be treated like royalty, just regular folks. Also, they realized people were sucking up to them in order to make themselves seem more holy.

After reading all of this I feel the need to take a shower.

Be sure and use lots of soap. That CoC dirt is hard to get off.

Wasn't there a scripture somewhere about putting a ring on brother so-and-so's hand and giving
him a special place to sit whilst making the poor brother sit in the back?

Ivy wrote:Wasn't there a scripture somewhere about putting a ring on brother so-and-so's hand and giving
him a special place to sit whilst making the poor brother sit in the back?

Yes, it is in the Epistle of Jude.

James 2:1-7, actually.

The Sin of Partiality

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?

cathym wrote:James 2:1-7, actually.

The Sin of Partiality

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?

I stand corrected. Never let it be said BH wouldn't admit he was wrong when he is indeed wrong.

I remember those days. It was usually Sister Elder remembering bygone days and looking forward to eternal church service in the sky where babies don't cry during the service! (LOL @ myself! Sounded like the coc lyrics to The Jeffersons!)

BH... isn't it wonderful getting to the point where you actually start forgetting some of the brainwashing?

Now let me say this... for every high-falutin' big-shot Gospel Meeting preacher, there were at least 5 scrub preachers who got shit on and worn out by their congregations. I was one of those. Those kinds of preachers they did not care one whit about and would run them ragged and tie up all their times with super-petty squabbles and nitpicks. Those Gospel Meeting preachers and big time editors could ride around in their fancy Winnebagos and never have to attend the appalling fresh hell that was a business meeting. They didn't have to put up with the politics. I think that's why a lot of small town preachers aspire to become Gospel Meeting preachers, thus they are constantly submitting articles for brotherhood papers and diligently attending lectureships, in case they may one day be invited to speak at one.

Me, I never gave a shit about getting published in Constipated for the Faith, Seek the Old Hags, and the Spiritual Samurai, or whatever their names were. And thus, I was that workaday preacher that the congregation felt not the least bit guilty about abusing until I was used up and unable to stand preaching anymore.