So, my mom is giving up her apartment and moving back in with my dad full-time.
Now that my dad has moved farther north, the apartment doesn’t make as much sense financially and there’s another problem: she doesn’t like the crowd her neighbor hangs with.
Yes, tonight my mother called me to complain about the Christians in her building. They’re always trying to pray with her and saying “God Bless You” in a way she finds insincere and showing her pictures of their children even though they don’t seem to ever be with their wives, just her neighbor lady.
Folks, everyone’s religion is their own business, but when you’re creeping out a minister’s wife with your Jesusiness, you might consider toning it down some.
Tiny Cat Pants 
“…when you’re creeping out a minister’s wife with your Jesusiness, you might consider toning it down some.
Wow. I mean, just wow. Yeah.
I’m guessing they know she’s a minister’s wife too?
(PS Oooh, I kind of like this template. If only we could make that built in header red instead of green, that would be kind of perfect.)
I’m liking it, too. Hopefully it’s big enough for some people to see…
Yes, they know she’s a minister’s wife. Now, sometimes what will happen is that people will learn that she’s a minster’s wife and kind of go into religious overdrive, trying very hard to “prove” that they’re religious enough to suit her (even though my mom isn’t into that stuff). But this neighbor has known her for a while and the weirdness has only started with this new boyfriend who seems to do nothing but lay around the apartment all day waiting for my mom to come home so that he can talk to her about Jesus.
It’s very weird.
I like this one, too…it’s easier to read than the burgundy one, although I loved that color.
When I upgrade to pay for CSS, we may go back to the burgundy one and just tweak it some, becasue that red really was beautiful.
Also, I’ve always found that that’s the difference between people of the Methodist persuasion and then an evangelical denomination. (Nobody get offended, I’m from an evangelical background, so I can say this.) I have never met a weirded out Methodist who thinks they should tell every single person they meet about Jesus. I’ve met plenty of evangelicals (mostly of the charismatic kind) who can’t get dressed in the morning without asking Jesus which outfit they should wear. Those are usually the ones who will use any situation to get to you. Almost like an Amway salesman.
Ginger! You’re absolutely right. I hadn’t thought about that, but I think you’re right. These guys are obviously more evangelical than my mom and their understanding of how to incorporate Jesus into their lives is much different.
Shoot, my mom wants Jesus to get her kids through this life in one piece. She doesn’t want to be bothering him about what she should wear to work when he’s got my brothers on his to-do list.
I’m with Ginger, Methodists rock, they’re like, “Jesus is so cool, we don’t need to push him on you, only let you know about it, in the event you don’t already know.” Other sorts of Christians try to push Jesus on you. (Not ALL other sorts, just various other sorts.)
You have no idea how profound this statement is! Funny, yet profound.
Ick. Neighbor’s new boyfriend = creepy.
They could be new Christians. Sometimes new Christians overdo it cause they’re trying reeeeally hard.
All of us in the evangelical persuasion don’t push Jesus on people. How many times have I pushed Him on you?
no, no, Sista, not *all* of them…when I make comments like this, I’m not generalizing everyone in whatever group I am referring to…I guess it sounded like that, but that’s not what I mean at all. Sorry for that confusion!
Ivy – I’m a Methodist (technically), and I think “Jesus is so cool, we don’t need to push him on you, only let you know about it, in the event you don’t already know” is exactly right. I don’t know if it’s official Methodist teaching (I can’t tell whether John Wesley would cheer or roll over in his grave; his theory and philosophy very much echoed that sentiment, but the things he actually wrote in, say, the Book of Discipline speak otherwise. Maybe it’s a translation-of-age thing?), but that’s exactly the way I feel about it.
Granted, I’m not so good with the end half of it, either. Slarti is much much better about that than I am. That’s the way my grandparents are, and my mom, sort of. But I think it’s right. If you have something wonderful (whether it’s Christianity or not), you should share it. Sharing doesn’t mean shoving it in people’s faces, it means being so thoroughly whatever you are that other people can see it and decide whether they want that too. It’s… your “about this site” quote, Aunt B. Just that. And then providing every tool and opportunity for people to learn more, at their own speed. (And accepting if/when they decide it’s not for them, and loving them anyway and respecting their wishes)
Wesley was a riot, in his own way, though. I don’t know. He was just… well, a hoot.
Ha, here’s where you mention the Donnell Alexander quote. Oops. I was thinking of it in regards to Slarti because I do think that there’s good work in being who you are if who you are is someone who’s open and “healthy.” I don’t know. I keep coming back to this idea of “health” that has to do with something holistic and not tied to just what state your body is in. I’m going to have to think on this but I think “healthy” has got to be defined by how you feel and how you make others around you feel.
Like my mom’s neighbor’s new boyfriend. He might feel great because he’s found this form of religious expression. He might say he’s in a state of health and well-being. But if others find it frightening or off-putting, it might not be. You’d have to balance that against whether those people are also “healthy,” though.
Wesley was pretty funny. I always laugh when I read the admonitions in the beginning of our hymnals. If I had one, I’d totally quote from it. (Alas, the only promising link is to a JSTOR article, and I’m no longer a student of an institution with access!) He does say something like ‘if you learned it any other way than the way it is here, unlearn it as quickly as possible and sing it properly,’ which I just found hilarious.
That’s a neat conception of health. It’s.. actually a lot like mine. Go figure, eh?