Dear Abby

[Palerider]

This was a Dear Abby column that appeared several years ago...someone gave this to me and I have cherished it. I am going to share this due to comments from another thread.

Dear Abby

One of the toughest tasks a church faces is choosing a good minister. A member of an official board undergoing this painfull process finally lost patience. He'd watched the Pastoral Relations Comm reject applicant after applicant for some faut, alleged or otherwise. It was time for some soul searching on the part of the comm. So he stood up and read a letter purporting to be from another applicant:

Gentleman: Understanding your pulpit is vacant I should like to apply for the position. I have many qualifications. I have been a preacher with much success and also have had some success as a writer. Some sayI am a good organizer. I have been a leader most places I have been.

I'm over 50 years of age. I have never preached in one place for more than three years. In some places I have left town after my work caused riots and disturbances. I must admit I have been in jail three or four times but not because of any wrongdoing.

My health is not real good, though I still get a great deal done. The churches I have preached in have been small, though located in several large cities.

I've not gotten along well with religous leaders in towns where I have preached. In fact some have threatened me and even attacked me physically. I am not too good at keeping records. I have been known to forget whom I have baptised.

However, if you can use me, I shall do my best for you.

The board member looked over the comm."Well, what do you think? Shall we call him?"

The good church folks were aghast. Call an unhealthy, trouble making, absent minded ex jailbird? Was the board member crazy? Who signed the application? Who had such colossal nerve? The board member eyed them all keenly before he answered them. "Its the Apostle Paul"

I hope all of you enjoyed reading that as much as I do, because when I was having a hard time while serving this was one of my favorite things to dig out and read. I just wanted to share with everyone........Thanks Palerider

[CrimsonKairos]

Booyah. Excellent.

[Palerider]

Booyah. Excellent.

Thank you!!!!

[begood2]

Palerider,

Thanks for sharing! It makes a person stop and think.....doesn't it?

[Gabelma]

Palerider,

Thanks for sharing! It makes a person stop and think.....doesn't it?

LOL yeah its like how many people would accept a man with a beard, long hair, dress and sandals in an LDS church today?

Charley

[Dr T]

That was good. Thank you for the food for thought Pale :)

[Guest Yediyd]

Pale, I cut and pasted that into my book of "pearls", thank you for that...I am going to share it with my Bishop as well...

[Palerider]

thank you guys........

[pushka]

Just got round to reading this thread, and want to thank you for posting that too Palerider...I thought it was really good, and was trying to guess who the applicant would be.

[Palerider]

Just got round to reading this thread, and want to thank you for posting that too Palerider...I thought it was really good, and was trying to guess who the applicant would be.

thank you....it is a great article

[Josie]

That short little post says so much Pale. Thank you for sharing it. It gives or should give pause for all of us and much thought.

[Snow]

While there are probably successful "unhealthy, trouble making, absent minded ex jailbird" ministers, I'd say that the odds would favor someone who wasn't an "unhealthy, trouble making, absent minded ex jailbird" minister.

The smart money says to take a pass on this applicant.

[CrimsonKairos]

Smart money like thirty pieces of silver?

Just screwin' around, ignore me. B)