Six weeks after I had broken my ankle I went to have another x-ray done on it to see if I could start walking again. I was thrilled when I got an okay, especially since one of LV's cousins were getting married and we were invited.
The wedding was held in the Summit Mills church house. I never liked that church house very well because the benches were all situated rather oddly and the girls always had to sit directly in front of the ministers. This time I managed to get a seat further back since there were a lot of other girls there and I waited until almost last to get in line to file in and take our seats.
The singing was over and the bishop was preaching the main sermon. I was glad I wasn't the bride. Instead of the usual wedding sermon the bishop (father to the groom) was focusing all his energy on stressing the importance of the wife being truly submissive. While I didn't have a problem with the general idea of the husband being the head of the home there was something about the way bishop Sam was preaching that irritated me.
A little later I got the urge to sneeze. I quickly reached into my pocket and got my handkerchief and as I held it to cover my mouth I somehow inhaled and drew a piece of lint back into my throat. I no longer had to sneeze but it tickled so badly that I needed to cough. Not wanting to do that either I tried to suppress the urge and to my consternation tears started rolling down my face.
I quickly wiped them and looked up to see several older married women looking at me sympathetically no doubt thinking I had been quite touched by the sermon on being submissive.
That is really funny!
ReplyDeleteThat's hilarious and awful at the same time! Bless your heart. :)
ReplyDeleteOh I wish I would of been there. LoL
ReplyDeleteI'm rolling on the floor. That one really killed me! Oh, and I think I've heard that sermon. Must be a carbon copy of it floating around somewhere. Could you ever have imagined that years later we all would have real sympathy for you? :-)
ReplyDeleteTOO funny ~ maybe LV saw you and thought this was going to be more work than he thought! HA HA Meanwhile, the bishop probably gave himself a pat on the back for having such a touching sermon. :)
ReplyDeleteHey, why didn't you count the purple flowers? ;)
ReplyDeleteAs an evangelical Christian, Jesus is the head of my home, not my husband. My husband & I are mutually submissive to one another as per Ephesians 5:21 "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ". After all, a husband who loves his wife and 'gives himself up' for her like Christ does His church is actually being submissive to his wife. Kari Malcolm's book Women at the Crossroads (Inter-Varsity Publishers) gives a refreshing perspective on this issue citing the need in the Corinthian church for correction eg Re: women being silent--women were shouting out across the church aisle at their husbands and thus Paul said to be silent and ask your husband at home (since men were more educated in those days than women). Her other explanations for understanding the context of submissiveness are just as eye-opening eg "head" means origin not "lord". But, hey, not trying to be controversial on theology here. You're free to interpret Scripture how you want. Thank goodness, the days of hearing a pin drop in most churches is gone!
ReplyDeleteG'morn & Merry 'Chris'tmas JC ~
ReplyDeleteAnother wonderful story of life ... it is so beautiful the way you present your stories of life. Had to giggle a bit on this one, tho.
Blessings & joys ~
TTFN ~ Hugs, Marydon
I must admit that my tears would have been tears of dread and fear at the thought of all of force of the sermon! Oops!
ReplyDeleteLOL!! That's funny! :o) Glad the lint didn't choke you. :o)
ReplyDeleteVery funny! I LOVED this story. I can so relate... I'll never forget how I tried to send the bishop my thoughts at my brother's wedding... "please, you don't have to encourage him -- I already feel sorry for her!"
ReplyDeleteSo glad I escaped the Amish wedding...
Thanks for sharing this story... you do such an exquisite job of it, and I agree that your memoirs need to be published.
Thank you so much for this wonderful story!
Saloma
I wish you a merry Christmas from India.
ReplyDeleteYour stories remind me of the strict missionary boarding schools where my parents and grandparents studied - very puritanical. Even laughing was a sin, everyone had to fit in a box. They impose d that upon us to a certain extent.