A lighter side of life

The late Rev. Dr. Gene West had been assigned to the historical Quincy Methodist Church. It was his first Sunday as their new preacher. Neither he nor his wife nor his young sons knew all of the in-and-outs of their new congregation. One of those little bits of information that wasn’t communicated was that the balcony was closed during the summer months and that is exactly where his two boys headed for worship. They had never been to a church with a balcony before and were really excited.

It came time for the morning offering. The ushers didn’t know that Gene’s two sons had slipped up into the balcony so they didn’t make it up there to receive their quarters. Gene said that he was standing up front of the sanctuary watching all of this transpire and couldn’t do anything but watch.

His boys knew that they had quarters for the offering plate. They remembered well the instructions of both their parents that they had to place it in the offering plates. The ushers didn’t come and receive their money … so … being creative and innovative thinking young men they simply leaned out over the rail of the balcony and waited for the ushers to emerge from under the balcony. With perfect timing and aim they let loose their quarters, the quarters hit the offering plate which startled the ushers who reacted with surprise by throwing up the offering plates … money went everywhere and Pastor West’s children were introduced to the congregation.

Gene shared that first impressions are kind of hard to live down.

Quote for today: After Abraham Lincoln became president, before the days of civil service, office seekers besieged him everywhere trying to get appointments to various jobs throughout the country. Once, confined to bed with typhoid fever, exasperated, Lincoln declared to his secretary, "Bring on the office seekers; I now have something I can give to everybody." Author unknown