My precious mama loved the Lord. She was a Baptist. I mean Baptist through and through. When I married the Lovely Gracious Pat, we had certain decisions to make. Which church to attend was one of them. After much prayer and consideration, l decided that Pat was a much better Presbyterian than I was Baptist so I joined her church. My decision was one which brought me much happiness and many blessings.
My mama was not thrilled about my decision but she comforted herself by realizing that at least l was in church.
One Mother’s Day, l persuaded mama to go to church with us. She seemed to be enjoying herself. Lucky for me, we even sang “Amazing Grace” that morning. Then the killer hit. The preacher ask the congregation open our hymnals to page 393 and recite the “Apostles Creed.” By this time, mama was really getting into service. She finally realized that we Presbyterians don’t eat our young.
Things were going well with the Apostles Creed. until! Until we got to the part where it said, “I believe in the holy catholic church.”
You probably noticed that the word catholic was not capitalized. Mama didn’t.
If you have ever attended a Presbyterian service, you know our services are very quiet and reserved. They don’t call us the Frozen Chosen for nothing. Anyway, my mama slammed that book shut. Page 393 met page 394
with such force, it sounded like someone had fired a small rifle in the sanctuary.
Mama gave me one of those looks. You know the look. The one your mana gives you when you sit down at the table and cram your mouth full of chicken before someone has asked the blessing. As if to say—what have you gotten yourself into boy?
Later at the dinner table, after she asked the blessing of course, l did my best to explain to her that the word catholic in the Apostles Creed,” had nothing to do with the Church of Rome. It means universal. As in all Christians are brothers and sisters in Christ.
She understood my explanation but anytime in future as she attended church with us, she skipped the part on page 393.
Ralph Gordon from Union, Past President of the Mississippi Writer Guild and recipient of the William Faulkner Literary Award.
