Quote:
Originally Posted by Hope
In Houston, I helped several people move. It was always one big session of laughing, joking and good fun.
Some to the brothers who lived with me were very good with the guitar. I had a great time setting around and singing and singing and singing.
When I think about the early days, these are the kind of things that dominate my memory, not a woman burning her baby's photos. Am I the only one who had a little fun and has some fond memories?
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Thanks Hope for reminding us of the good times in the past. Without them we might have bailed along time ago. And by remembering them today we avoid the trap of being bitter over the potential of wasted years.
It sounds like your early church life was a chortle. I too had a 'honeymoon' time shortly after I got married 1 year into the church life. Three couples and an older single sister stayed in adjoining apartments in a highrise along with a handful of single brothers and sisters. Besides pursuing spiritual things together I do remember we had a barrel of laughs together, often having spontaneous suppers in each others apartments.
However, there was a tendency in Toronto at least to cut out the frivolity. One time I remember a few younger brothers and sisters had played baseball in the Lord's day afternoon. That night elder DB blamed the lack of spirit in the meeting on those that had played baseball in the afternoon. Needless to say that pleasant, harmless activity was quashed forevermore.
About 10 years ago Dave Higgins stayed at our home and he testified how the Lord had dealt with his tendency to joke through brother Lee, who frowned upon it. I think this was based on the verse in Ephesians 5:4 about avoiding jesting. Some versions, including the RecVer say to avoid filthy jesting which makes sense. In my mind, the jury is still out regarding the role of clean jesting. I consider joking one of my wife's ministries who is able to put people at ease through her wholesome sense of humour. Once people are at ease the atmosphere is much more conducive for healthy bi-directional fellowship.
Perhaps Hope you could say more about how you were able to 'get away' with this much fun and did you have any interaction with brother Lee on the matter of joking. I know I attended the last informal training in LA in 1973 and, because it was 3 weeks, Mondays were a free day and so there was opportunity for recreation. In 1974 the formal semi-annual trainings started. We stayed at a motel and brother Lee twice rebuked those who dared go swimming during the afternoons (I was one of them). I remember twice because the brother staying with me commented that if there had only been one warning he would have ignored it. So Hope, perhaps you are referring to the pre-1974 era.
I will close with a fond memory. A labourer was working with some brothers who had a renovation business. Through their preaching he got saved, really saved. He started coming to our meetings and after a few short weeks he testified how that day he had said to his live in girl friend that the Lord had said to him "it was either Him or her". He told his girl friend it was going to be Jesus.
This brother was from Jamaica and, as many there do, spoke with a London cockney accent. One characteristic of a cockney accent is that they drop H's when they should not and insert them in front of vowels when they do not exist. Thus his name Albert is pronounced H'Albert. Imagine the howls of laughter in the meeting when he read a verse that had touched him that morning. It was 1 John 3:15. "He that 'ate his brother is a murderer ...".
Steve