Sunday, July 1, 2007

Bump In The Road

(Originally posted May, 2007).

So, apparently I make children cry, AND piss off little old ladies.

OK, only one little old lady.

That I know of.

Seems she doesn't think it's right that I use Spanish "from the pulpit." Even though HappyChurch hired me because I'm bilingual and wanted me to bring that to their worship...

...I think...now I'm second-guessing myself...

HappyChurch is an English-speaking church, she says, and there's no place for Spanish in worship. Anywhere else is fine, she says, but not from the pulpit. "Those people" should learn English, and HappyChurch is an English-speaking church.

Does it help her to know that any Spanish I use, either in my sermon or in the liturgy, is immediately translated? I admit I could have made that more clear, and I said so to her...does that help her?

Nope. It's just wrong, and she can't really articulate why it's so upsetting.

But if I ever do it again, she will get up and walk out. And she's been going here since 19thirty-whatever.

And now I remember why I never wanted to do this work.

Sigh.