I've given myself a day to try to get over this ...Took the kids to the park after school in the 65 weather and was pleased to see another parent arrive with her child. Just happy for some conversation.
Noticing the school uniforms, she said she homeschooled her older girls but her son attends Millstone.
"Homeschooled" - Red Flag #1.
Then she mentioned her church. Second Red Flag. With only two churches in town, I thought she might attend one or the other. No, it's Faith Baptist in Hamilton.
There are at least two Baptist churches in Hamilton:
one1 had a summer lawn fete that we missed because of threatening bad weather, and the other hosted the BSF shrink-wrapped Bible study. I gambled on the latter and asked about BSF, adding it was highly recommended to me.
Her enthusiastic "Yes!" made me think I'd picked the right one but then she went on to talk about VBS! She said it was like Carnaval! She'd misunderstood2, but I let it drop because I can talk about VBS as well.
I mentioned that the boys' summer camp is so good that I can't bring them out for VBS. And the evening program at the Methodist church near the Outlets towards the end of August has them out too late in the evening.
She wasn't getting a clear enough clue, so she asked for my affiliation and I confessed to her which church we attend. She was aware that we'd "just gotten a new pastor." Ahem, more than three years ago! I complained about his popularity: that I almost didn't get a parking spot on Sunday! Services are so crowded and the church is packed with smart, young families.
Was I bragging about the church being crowded with attractive people? Was I playing on her sin nature, making her jealous?
No, I was being straight with her.3 I was quick to add, in my negative way, that I might know more families at church if my sons attended Millstone. But we all know it's impossible to make acquaintances at a Catholic church.
She expressed frustration at maintaining friendships outside church because of the distance: worshippers travel from Philadelphia and New York. I affirmed her frustration - too strongly? a tad triumphantly? - because I've experienced that great irony myself: a popular church draws people who can't practically function together outside church time.
When she mentioned her friend with eight children who is not Catholic, I almost retorted, "I bet you haven't any Catholic friends" but instead I spent my millisecond of "edgewise"4 time trying to figure out why it mattered ... to her.
When I offered in a friendly and sincere way that she might see me at Faith Baptist sometime for a Bible study, she was overjoyed and quick to say, "Oh, we have lots of Catholics there!" My wounded face finally caught her attention because she softened her tone to say that everyone's common upbringing is a bond that they can now enjoy. Was she telling me that she too had been "brought up Catholic?" Gee, might I meet ten more just like her some Wednesday evening?
Should I tell her I think Baptists make the best Catholics?
It's a strange thing that I didn't invite her to church because that's usually something I do. Jeff said it wasn't my imagination: she was genuinely rude about my religion. I felt I was meeting her more than half-way and she was unable to reciprocate. Jeff agreed and he's not prone to indulging me in any "religious persecution" self-pity.
1 I love this bit: "the church history tells of neighbors complaining about the Baptists racing buggies on Nottingham Way after services." Like Friendly Persuasion.
2 Turns out I was wrong, anyway. It was Bible Baptist ... and it was MOPS! Such a long time ago, the memory fades.
3 I'm Catholic, after all.
4 Why Baptists are impervious to Catholic evangelization? Because they do all the talking!
Her enthusiastic "Yes!" made me think I'd picked the right one but then she went on to talk about VBS! She said it was like Carnaval! She'd misunderstood2, but I let it drop because I can talk about VBS as well.
I mentioned that the boys' summer camp is so good that I can't bring them out for VBS. And the evening program at the Methodist church near the Outlets towards the end of August has them out too late in the evening.
She wasn't getting a clear enough clue, so she asked for my affiliation and I confessed to her which church we attend. She was aware that we'd "just gotten a new pastor." Ahem, more than three years ago! I complained about his popularity: that I almost didn't get a parking spot on Sunday! Services are so crowded and the church is packed with smart, young families.
Was I bragging about the church being crowded with attractive people? Was I playing on her sin nature, making her jealous?
No, I was being straight with her.3 I was quick to add, in my negative way, that I might know more families at church if my sons attended Millstone. But we all know it's impossible to make acquaintances at a Catholic church.
She expressed frustration at maintaining friendships outside church because of the distance: worshippers travel from Philadelphia and New York. I affirmed her frustration - too strongly? a tad triumphantly? - because I've experienced that great irony myself: a popular church draws people who can't practically function together outside church time.
When she mentioned her friend with eight children who is not Catholic, I almost retorted, "I bet you haven't any Catholic friends" but instead I spent my millisecond of "edgewise"4 time trying to figure out why it mattered ... to her.
When I offered in a friendly and sincere way that she might see me at Faith Baptist sometime for a Bible study, she was overjoyed and quick to say, "Oh, we have lots of Catholics there!" My wounded face finally caught her attention because she softened her tone to say that everyone's common upbringing is a bond that they can now enjoy. Was she telling me that she too had been "brought up Catholic?" Gee, might I meet ten more just like her some Wednesday evening?
Should I tell her I think Baptists make the best Catholics?
It's a strange thing that I didn't invite her to church because that's usually something I do. Jeff said it wasn't my imagination: she was genuinely rude about my religion. I felt I was meeting her more than half-way and she was unable to reciprocate. Jeff agreed and he's not prone to indulging me in any "religious persecution" self-pity.
1 I love this bit: "the church history tells of neighbors complaining about the Baptists racing buggies on Nottingham Way after services." Like Friendly Persuasion.
2 Turns out I was wrong, anyway. It was Bible Baptist ... and it was MOPS! Such a long time ago, the memory fades.
3 I'm Catholic, after all.
4 Why Baptists are impervious to Catholic evangelization? Because they do all the talking!
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