Stump the Chump

August 7th, 2005

Church this morning went very well. We had some return visitors (actually far more encouraging than first time visitors), and considering how many people are absent during the summer, the attendance was very good. One couple with two children said that they plan to return Wednesday and bring with them the five children of a neighboring family.

I finished my series on the disciples of Christ in our Bible Study this morning. I found it interesting, and I don't think any of the attendees fell asleep throughout the series, so I guess they thought so too. Next week, and if necessary, the week after, we'll do what I'm calling "Stump the Chump." I've issued an open invitation for questions, any Biblically based questions. I've asked that people give them to me ahead of time, but said that they don't actually have to. This has me a little nervous. Never know what you'll be hit with in an open question and answer time, and it's not like I actually have all the answers. I have told them, though, that if I don't know the answer, I'll tell them I don't know, then go home during the week and try to find out. Fact is, though, most Christians in the States have the same set of questions that they're too nervous to ask for fear that either they'll look stupid for asking something everyone ought to already know, or worse, that there won't be a good answer. Since I already asked all the usual questions, and a lot of the unusual ones, now I've just got to remember the answers. This being me, though, that's going to be harder than it sounds. I mean, this is the same preacher who, just this morning, printed out a dozen copies of my lesson, and only one of the handout, instead of the other way around. Oh, boy. Ya'll pray for me.

Following our session of Stump the Chump, I've decided to continue into the book of Acts. Some thorny issues in there, like speaking in tongues, miracles, the relation of baptism to salvation, apostolic succession, etc. I'm looking forward to it. Since practically my entire class comes out of either a Roman Catholic or charismatic background, it should be helpful for them too.

My flash story this week can't really be called that. I have this terrible habit of coming up with an idea that sounds like it can be reasonably told in 800 words or less. Then I check my wordcount one third of the way into the story (and two-thirds of the way through the time), and realize that I've already crossed 600 words or so. I generally spend the last ten minutes typing frantically to get to the ending I knew I was going to from the very beginning. This naturally leaves almost (okay, forget the "almost") no time for going back and editing to trim the flab. Oh, well. I'd apologize in advance to all the people who have to crit my group, but that might give away which story is mine; mine may well be the longest in its group. (Might not be, though. There was one week when someone hammered out almost 1,000 words more than I've ever put out for one of these.) Oh, well. I think the longest story I've written yet was also the only one I've ever written to win its group. And it only fell one vote short of winner of the whole thing, I think. Can't wait for the voting/critiquing to begin. I never can.