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4A Clje l)pra(ti <J5a>rttr Tuesday, July 20,2021
Opinions
Ruffin's Renderings: Church shopping
My Good Wife and I
moved to Macon a few
weeks ago. At the time,
I was in the last month
of an interim pastorate
in Stockbridge. I finished
that assignment on the
last Sunday in June.
But Pastor Cyndi of the
Barnesville First United
Methodist Church ex
tended gracious pastoral
care to me by inviting
me to preach there on
the first Sunday in July,
thereby letting us post
pone for a little longer
a process 1 really don’t
look forward to: church
shopping.
(The process was
postponed for one more
week by a Friday after
noon root canal that left
my Good Wife still feeling
lousy on Sunday. Not
being a full-time pastor
and not having a preach
ing commitment that day,
1 chose to stay home to
support her—just like 1
was a normal husband.)
Here 1 am going to ad
mit one of my past pasto
ral peeves—1 never liked
it when people who were
engaged in their own pro
cess of church shopping
visited a church 1 served
as pastor. There were
several reasons for my
attitude.
First, 1 didn’t like the
idea of competing with
other churches. After all,
we’re all supposed to be
on the same team, aren’t
we? The second reason
1 didn’t like dealing with
church shoppers is
related to the first one:
I didn’t know how to
compete with
other churches.
What was I sup
posed to do?
Give prospective
members a sales
pitch on why our
church was bet
ter than other
churches (or
point them to
our really great
website that
was designed to
make the same case)? Or
maybe I could tell them
that this was a good time
to join our church before
our special This Month
Only—The Tithe Is Only
Seven Percent! offer
expired.
My third reason for
not wanting to deal with
church shoppers is also
a confession.
1 didn’t see
why 1 had to
compete with
other church
es when—
and surely it
should be ob
vious to any
one paying any
attention—the
church 1 pas-
tored was the
best church
in the area. 1 mean, it
clearly had the best pas
tor, so.... Anyway, 1 had
a lot of growing to do
in that whole “dying to
self” thing that the New
Testament says so much
about.
But seriously, folks—1
want all of the pastors
and churches in Macon
that we might visit over
the next few weeks to
know that you don’t need
to try to convince us that
your church is better
than other churches or
make any kind of effort to
recruit us. As a matter of
fact, making such an ef
fort will probably get you
marked off our list.
Besides, the truth is
that we already know
that certain kinds of
churches will be a bet
ter fit for us than other
churches will. We know
this from over four
decades of participating
in church things. First,
we want to be part of a
church that takes follow
ing Jesus seriously. Sec
ond, we prefer traditional
worship with a liturgical
flavor. Third, we appreci
ate preaching, teaching,
and ministry that focus
on this world as well as
the next. Fourth, we reso
nate with congregations
that are willing and able
to think and talk about
challenging questions.
Fifth, we value churches
that understand the dif
ference between prayer
ful patriotism and civil
religion.
1 reckon the list of
churches that fit that
description won’t be a
long one.
But you know, in the
end we will ask the good
Lord to show us our
church home. And then
we will gladly embrace it.
Mike Ruffin is a Barnesville na
tive who lives and works in Macon.
His new book, Praying with Matthew,
is available at helwys.com and at
Amazon.
Ruffin’s
Renderings
Kudzu & Clay: The
“Boo Radley” Spot
1 have been
working in
offices for at
least twenty-
five years now.
Every one of
them is rather
different in
their levels
of awkward
ness and weird
cultures, but
1 have found
one similarity
with them all. A
bizarre common
denominator of office
culture. In every single
one of these places, and
1 suppose all the others 1
have yet to visit through
out this great land, there
exists a table, shelf, or
ledge that 1 like to call a
“Boo Radley” spot. That
is, a place where people
discreetly put random
junk they don’t want on
offer to their coworkers,
gratis. They are almost
like a shrine to some
office god that grants
the worshipper a feel
ing of accomplishment
or charity even though
ninety-nine percent of
this garbage wouldn’t
be accepted by even the
most desperate of souls.
Sometimes there is
food. Sometimes used
makeup samples. Old
socks. Maybe fishing line,
or decades-old maga
zines. Even washed out
jars and containers. 11 of
these donations appear
silently and most often
anonymously. And as
quickly and as silently as
the objects appear, they
disappear, usually within
a day.
1 have investigated
this. 1 thought that
perhaps these random
objects were being
thrown away. Perhaps a
person was too lazy to
toss something in the
trash can and just left it
there without fear of con
sequence. 1 have found
no evidence that could
support that theory. I’ve
checked trash cans, per
haps even in bathrooms 1
wasn’t allowed to go into
to confirm. No similar
contents or offerings.
Which means there is a
real person that deposits
washed-out olive jars and
margarine tubs and there
is another person that
takes them of their own
volition! Let me just say
this for the world to hear.
If you are ever so desper
ate you need someone’s
old olive jars as
your own, let
me know and 1
will buy you a
jar of olives and
let you keep the
contents.
There was an
occasion where
1 actually caught
one of these
Boo Radleys
depositing their
offering and
used the oppor
tunity to figure
out why they do this. The
person was depositing
half of a loaf of discount
bread thats plastic
packaging was shredded
at one end. 1 asked what
this was and why. The
person explained they
had set a frozen loaf of
bread out to thaw and
their cat attacked it (at
least what they assumed
was their cat, could
have been a raccoon).
“1 removed all the bread
the cat touched, but then
1 realized it wasn’t good
for my diabetes...figured
someone here might
could use it.”
Wouldn’t you know it,
within a few hours, like
all objects on this table
do, the bag had disap
peared. No sign of it in
a trash can. Not in a cu
bicle. Not in a bathroom.
Someone had taken the
cat-raccoon bread and
presumably consumed
it. What is it about these
places that make people
take things they would
not ordinarily take in the
real world? Is it the thrill
of something being free?
Is it a game of Russian
roulette with your diges
tive system?
1 have made a promise
to myself. If 1 ever rise
to the upper echelons of
management in an office
setting 1 will not eradi
cate the Boo-Radley spot.
It’s hilarious. I also don’t
think I could. Boo-Radley
spots are organic and
likely crop up regardless
of policy. Instead, I will
place a camera by it and
get an origin story for
each and every object. I
don’t know why, I don’t
know how, but some
where in there is the
secret of the universe.
Chris Walter is a writer, artist,
and Barnesville native. He has just
published his first book, "Southern
Glitter”. You can find more informa
tion about his art and writings at
kudzuandclay.com.
KUDZU &
CLAY
Chris Walter
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Greenwood Street, Barnesville.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Reader defends Chicago, Illinois
Ah, Mr. Geiger, you
have done it again and at
tacked a city that I have
lived in.
I lived in Chicago for
18 years and found it a
most wonderful place
to live and I probably
would go back if it wasn’t
for the fact that I have
been away from the
cold for over 20 years
and I don’t think I could
survive. I never thought
twice about going out
for errands in 18 below
weather. You went in
January. Duh! Of course,
it’s going to be cold, it’s
Chicago. I do agree with
you the crime there has
gotten very bad. But did
you check the Atlanta Po
lice Dept, for the weeks
between July 4 and July
17? 37 shootings. And
that’s Atlanta. That’s not
counting Dekalb, Clayton,
or Forsyth counties, Mr.
Geiger it’s bad all over.
Also, in your remarks
about Dr. Fauci and Dr.
Jill, is it a crime that they
are actually concerned
about the American
people? Did they suggest
injecting bleach into us
to prevent the Pandemic?
Did they say “Don’t
worry it will all go away
when the weather gets
warm?” Did they disband
the Pandemic Strike force
that President Obama
put in place to prevent
another Pandemic after
the Ebola? Life is not a
rosy Republican Para
dise. Just thought you
should know.
THANK YOU,
B0BMURDY
Couple met At Gordon during
Club Day, return together
Gordon State Col
lege graduates Katie
Odegaard and Brandon
French met at a GSC Club
Day event back in 2014
and have remained to
gether since that special
day seven years ago.
“In classic sister
fashion, I was waiting for
my brother, president of
the (Outdoor Adventure)
club, to leave so I could
sign up,” Katie said of
that moment back in
2014. “Brandon was the
vice president and he
was at the booth when I
came by.”
After Katie joined,
Brandon had a strong
feeling that she would at
tend the club’s meetings.
“Though Katie said
she might not join, I
assumed she probably
would since her brother
was the current presi
dent,” Brandon said.
“Unsurprisingly, she was
at our first meeting.”
Now Katie and Bran
don are moving back to
Georgia to work as teach
ers at the prestigious
Brookwood School in
Thomasville.
A United States Navy
veteran, Brandon com
pleted a Bachelor of Arts
degree in English in 2016
and Katie completed
a Bachelor of Science
degree in biology in 2017
from GSC.
Katie and Brandon
each just finished
graduate programs in
Nebraska and Katie - who
is officially known as Dr.
Odegaard - has a Ph.D.
in neuroscience while
Brandon has a master’s
degree in ministry.
Beginning this fall,
Brandon will teach elev
enth grade and twelfth
grade English while Katie
will be teaching eighth
grade physical science,
environmental science
and marine biology.
Their plan was always
to come back to Georgia.
Brandon explained that
even when he was far
away, he always thought
of Georgia as home.
“There is so much to
explore and so much
history to learn about
the region,” Brandon
said. “Thomasville
has an early 20th cen
tury synagogue and
the Jack Hadley Black
History Museum that’s
been recognized by the
state legislature for its
importance to preserv
ing the region’s history.
Katie has a small, close
family in Georgia that
has always offered her
love and support.”
Katie agreed.
“I never intended to
anchor myself anywhere
outside of Georgia.”
July 18-24
10 years ago
Joyce Davis recorded
a hole-in-one on the 119-
yard 13th hole at River
Forest Golf and Country
Club in Monroe County.
She hit a Pinnacle ball
with her five iron to
record the ace. Fellow
golfers Debbie Burnett
and Martha Ann Peavy
witnessed the event.
25 years ago
Multiple Lamar coun-
tians were involved with
various activities in the
run-up to the Olympic
Games in Atlanta. They
included Tom Aiken,
Angela Mack, Tyrone
Bacon, Tony Byars, Geor
gia Champion, Lindley
Hines, Truman Boyle
and Mike Maynard. Tom
Davis, a GBI agent who
routinely worked cases
here, located the bomb
in Centennial Park and
led many to safety before
it went off.
50 years ago
Ban-Lar Pontiac
opened its showroom
at 1 College Drive. The
principals were J. Louis
Banks, J. Lamar Poore
and Marianna Weathers.
The dealership absorbed
Banks Pontiac Sales &
Service and Triangle
Auto Sales.
100 years
ago
Mr. T. J. Franklin, of
Barnesville, one of the
popular and success
ful young business men
of the community was
recently selected as one
of his staff by Governor
Thomas W. Hardwick, an
honor which is appreci
ated greatly by Mr. Frank
lin’s friends throughout
this vicinity.
Zi)t Heraltr #a^tte
barnesville.com
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