Shooting at a Black Church

[Geechee Girl]

CNN is showing the Homegoing service for Rev. Pickney. President Obama is providing the eulogy. Obama could be a preacher. Grace is the theme of the eulogy. Although I no longer claim Christianity, listening to the Southern AME preachers and choir makes me miss the black church experience.

[Howl]

Good Lord, the "kids" are all complete lunatics except for one, and now he's in disgrace because of an affair. Lovely family.

This woman is clueless that she has just characterized her God and Creator as an irritable and sadistic attention whore. For no particular reason, I'll think of her as Lotz Wife from here on out.

[Howl]

CNN is showing the Homegoing service for Rev. Pickney. President Obama is providing the eulogy. Obama could be a preacher. Grace is the theme of the eulogy. Although I no longer claim Christianity, listening to the Southern AME preachers and choir makes me miss the black church experience.

There was such power and beauty in the interplay of Obama's eulogy and the congregation's response -- especially true with the response to his rendition of Amazing Grace.

[PennySycamore]

Good Lord, the "kids" are all complete lunatics except for one, and now he's in disgrace because of an affair. Lovely family.

The disgraced one is Billy and Ruth's grandson. Yep, the kid was named after Tertullian.

I think that Ruth may be a big reason that the kids are so incredibly screwed up. She was a pretty harsh disciplinarian from what I understand. She had caught a teenage Franky smoking and, as punishment, locked him in the trunk of the car with, IIRC, a carton of cigarettes and told him to smoke 'em all. That quite honestly was child abuse.

[Geechee Girl]

There was such power and beauty in the interplay of Obama's eulogy and the congregation's response -- especially true with the response to his rendition of Amazing Grace.

Call and response is an integral part of the service. Virtually anyone at any time can start a song. More often than not, it will spontaneously begin during a prayer or testimony. Being moved by/with the Spirit through song is encouraged, and the congregation & choir will offer support through participation.