Sunday Morning

Ducks in a row as the latecomers take their seats in the front row, under the watchful eyes of Bennie the preacher, a genius narrating and improvising as the hour goes by.

INTRODUCTION
Dear Congregation
Today we’re going to look at changes – and our resistance thereof.

TEENAGER
It’ll be a nice change if I get to sleep in on a Sunday morning…

PATERNAL VOICE
Hush – it’s the church. [Why do we silence children for the better of ten years and thereafter expect them to speak their faith out loud?]

BENNIE
The story: One day a Baptist comes to visit the Dutch Reformed Church and finds his way to the front. Used to the Baptist way of doing things, the preacher says something appraisable, he raises his arms and calls out loud: “Praise the Lord.” To great discomfort of the churchgoers it becomes a race between the preacher trying to stay focused on his text and the Baptist doing his thing. David the elder and known as the preacher’s advisor and confidant feels compelled to take action. Brother Baptist is ready to raise his arms when David, waiting for the moment, grabs him from the back and says: “In this church we don’t ‘Praise the Lord’.’”

[Laughter]

Bennie proceeds, keeping in mind that the choir resists using the talented guitar player during the upcoming Thanksgiving.

BRINGING IT HOME
He now points at the fatigued teenager boy in the front. “Say!” says Bennie “ Your Dad has a donkey car and it’s your daily duty to take care of the donkey and see that the wheels of the car are pumped before the parents leave for the market, selling corn and other fresh farm products.

Now, close to your sixteenth birthday, you find the barn locked and the donkey car and donkey outside. You try to get into the barn, but without any luck.

Then the day of your birthday finally comes and Dad gives you the keys and off you go to unlock the barn. You expect a brand new donkey car and if you’re really lucky a donkey to replace the obstinate mule.

You unlock the shed. You can’t believe your eyes. It’s a red one. Shiny red Z4 BMW out of the box.

Bennie looks at the totally astonished teenager’s face. A moment –
THEN

The sister next to him must have forgotten all about silence in the church. She jumps from the uncomfortable pew, throws her arms into the air and responds: “Praise the Lord.” The youngest of the three is taken by the moment. He jumps onto his feet and claims the backseat of the BMW. “I’m coming with.”

And so do the rest of the young ones.

AMEN
Says Bennie and makes for the exit, leaving the ready-for-change followers and David, the elder behind.