30 October 2007
Southbrook Urban Legends, Part 1
Ever been to this website before? It’s just one of the many that explore some of the urban legends we’ve all heard over the years. These websites attempt to either verify them or chase down the source of the joke (although some of them are anything but funny). There was the one about the razer blades in the ‘trick or treat’ apples, the one about the woman who supposedly put her puppy in the microwave oven to dry its hair after a bath, and on and on and on. There are a million of them. Most are false. A few are true. Some are harmless. Others are not.
I thinking of setting one up for Southbrook—or maybe for all churches since they seem to be virtual breeding grounds for urban legends. Anyway, here’s how this whole thing started…
I was talking to Paul (our executive pastor) the other day and we were both laughing at yet another crazy story (i.e. read, ‘rumor,’ or ‘gossip’ here) circulating at Southbrook. There have been several this year. Today I jokingly spouted off that these ridiculous things would make for great blog fodder. You know, just to give you all a good laugh!
Paul has started referring to them as, “Southbrook Urban Legends.” So there you have it.
So, in no particular order, what say we get started?…
One mysterious story that has been floating around of late was that we should not have had a building campaign since someone heard that someone heard that someone heard, someone’s uncle’s cousin’s ex-roommate wrote a big fat check to pay for the entire thing!
WOW!
Hey, there’s only one problem. If this is the case, tell them to get that to us and we will be glad to pay off the building with it.
Alas, none of us has ever seen the mystery check.
And I have a theory as to why that might be…
BECAUSE THERE IS NO MYSTERY CHECK!
Sorry to shout, friends, but these things are mind-bogglingly stupid.
And just wait, they get even better.
Stay tuned.
5 Comments currently posted.
kati says:
Steve and Janie says:
I know there are some pretty interesting stories out there (within our own church body). Sadly, the church can be a terrible breeding ground for the ‘Psst” Psst” kind of stuff.
Most of us remember the exercise the teacher would do in our classrooms. The one where the student way in the back corner of the room would start a story and by the time it would reach the student in the front of the classroom, the story was “nothing” like the original.
There is a show on cable TV called, “Mythbusters”. That right there tells us that stories are so rampant that they need to create a show for it! Also, another website to check on stories and emails that are forwarded is called, Fact or Fiction.
By the way Rob, I may be in the dark but, what is the next series that you’ll be preaching on? Is it on urban legends? You could really have fun with that topic. You could preach on things made up as an “urban legend”! Would most of us really know whether it WAS made up or not ? (unless it was scripture ….but then again, we don’t all have “every” scripture memorized). You could really run with this one! Ha-ha!
You’re a blessing!
Janie
Anonomous says:
Rob,
That Check! Well a part of it was in my pocket and another in someone elses and the mystery check can be put together if all the parts were back in the basket Sunday. Did everyone put their part of that elusive check back in the basket?
Truthfully, even though I have very little money and I was one that did not make the list of finacially rich in the world I still made a commitment to tithe for the building. Every little bit will add up to a large sum capable of creating a humble place for all of us to worship together. It is so important that everyone make a contribution. Did you see how many were in that tent. Seriously folks we need a building. If I can find quarters in my couch so can you. Then just maybe Rob can only have 2 services on Sunday. That is until we blow the seams off the new building.
clayton king says:
Thanks for doing this series, the blog and the sermons. Man, could I have some fun with this! How about urban legends about EVANGELISTS (I am one). Here are a few…
1. Evangelists all have big hair (I have been bald since I was a teenager, by choice then, by nature now).
2. Evangelists drive fancy cars (I have a 2002 Ford Escape with 2 missing hubcaps and 167,000 miles on it)
3. Evangelists get paid the big bucks (our combined annual income is so low we barely have to pay taxes)
4. Evangelists only work for 45 minutes a week (my favorite…I fly over 100,000 miles a year, drive over 45,000 miles a year, spend 200 days and nights away from my family, and coast down hills to save money and gas mileage in my rental cars).
Man, this could be fun! I have been inspired Rob, I am going to do a 3 to 27 part blog post on claytonking.com about urban legends of evangelists. This all just came to me right here at this very moment. What inspiration!
Rob says:
Hey My brother from another mother!
Wazup? You are not kidding on the ‘Urban Legends’ thing. This could be my longest series ever with all the material. Feel free to add to it as much as you want.
Might even be a great place for you to guest blog!
darn. to bad that isn’t the case! =]
lol.