Praise God for Earplugs

In Jamaica there is a lot of noise everywhere, day or night.  There are people on the streets before 6am yelling at each other, laughing, talking, singing and then there are the frequent dog fights, roosters crowing, babies crying, radios blaring, horns honking, etc.  I have learned to wear my earplugs every night.  Most recently, my earplugs served a "holy" purpose as they allowed me to survive a church service.  Part of my attempts to become culturally aware and integrated into my community have been to accept the invitations that I receive to attend various churches.  In Jamaica, that means that you will attend some pentecostal services that may last 4 hours and will be unbelievably loud and dare I say, unusual, by my Methodist church background. I attended such a service yesterday.  It was the second time at this particular church and I only agreed to go because of the kindnesses extended to me by Gloria, who loves to cook for me on Sundays and she is a great cook.  I had decided after my first foray to this church a few months ago that the experience was slightly less painful than a root canal. So I "girded up my loins" and prepared for another torturous 3 or more hours but this time I had a little secret, I would wear my earplugs and at the very least protect my hearing which they say is the first thing to go as we age.  There I sat and the show began.  The congregation is admonished to prepare to worship, this being accomplished by repeating, " hallelujahs, amens, praise Him, glory, glory, He is worthy", etc. accompanied by shouting, writhing, jumping, screaming as though one is being tortured, flailing of limbs, strange noises, body jerking and seemingly various forms of what appear to the outsider, psychotic induced episodes!  Then when the congregation has adequately prepared to worship, the pastor's wife delivers the sermon.  Her topic is freedom in Christ.  Now I must tell you that this theme is not a new one to me as a Christian, but her way of demonstrating her point certainly was.  Before her unique demonstration,  I had been thinking that in my church back home,  Boston Ave Methodist, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that anyone who exhibited any of the aforementioned behaviors during a service would be subdued, led from the sanctuary and 911 would be called to summon an ambulance to take the poor soul for observation and a psychiatric evaluation at a local hospital.  But all of these behaviors would pale in comparison to what the preacher's wife had in store for us.  Suddenly she appeared with a butcher knife and a chicken with its legs bound with twine.  I was horrfied thinking that she might cut its head off right there before God and everybody!  She being the consummate performer, relished her task as the congregation was spellbound---she had them and walked up and down the aisle waving the knife in the air whilst the poor chicken looked terrified, describing the many ways humans are in bondage and need to repent and be free.
With this, she cut the twine and the maimed chicken ran out of the church! My deliverance came when the service was over and I too, like the hapless bird, was set free!  So you can see why I praise God for the earpugs.





















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