Bro Gary Hawkins 13: What's the other one, Becky?

[PumaLover]

Wow, @thoughtful, thank you for taking multiple ones for the team. I feel far stupider and more confused after reading all of that.

Is it a thing to have Tuesday night church? Is it a tent revival? Back when I was a Baptist there was Wednesday night church (although I never went) and then Sunday school, Sunday service and then Night Church (which I usually missed because the Simpsons* were on–my ex was never happy about that).

My daughter's half siblings are being raised by their religious grandmother, who is a nice person, but very Baptist (Mennonite, not sure but they can wear pants and don't have head coverings). My daughter thinks the kids are going to rebel when they grow up because the only friends they're allowed to have are from church. I told her I grew up with friends like that who definitely did rebel and moved far away from church. Just like with the Rod kids, I hope Gary's kids grow up, move out and are able to make friends with moderate, or at least less-devout-KJV screaming people than what they've grown up with, and discover that not everyone out here in the world are horrible, sluttish, Jesus-hating people. There are lots of us who are kind, accepting and non-judgmental. 

On a side note, about the rooster crowing–I was raised to believe that they only crow at sunrise. Our resident rooster is Kylo Hen. Don't know what breed he is but my BFF named him when he was a tiny black chick and I can't bring myself to change his name. He watches over all his ladies and clucks his disapproval when I come in to feed them. He crows all day long.

*The Simpsons was the one show my heathen family bonded over, and we still speak fluent Simpsons quotes to this day.

[thoughtful]

Kylo Hen is very handsome!

This church has the usual line-up of Sunday school, Sunday morning and evening and Wednesday evening services:
http://onychabaptistchurch.com/contactus.html

I think they're treating this like a revival - indoors, though.

 

[PumaLover]

27 minutes ago, thoughtful said:

I think they're treating this like a revival - indoors, though.

 

An indoor service–what a great idea at this time in history! /s (can't do the facepalm emoji from the computer)

We're in California in a very rural area where cases are very low. My daughter and I visited the pet store where Mr. Puma and I met 15+ years ago and were required to wear masks. It's hit or miss around here which businesses require it, but that's OK. 

[Ozlsn]

4 hours ago, thoughtful said:

People are going to talk about you 'til the day you're dead."

Gary what on earth makes you think we'll stop then?

4 hours ago, thoughtful said:

He gets quiet again, then suddenly bellows "CHURCH!"

Got to wake up the congregation somehow I guess.

4 hours ago, thoughtful said:

Buddha, and whoever the other ones are, my God ain't (unintelligible)." 

Unlike some of his self-proclaimed preachers, obviously.

[Expectopatronus]

@thoughtful, thanks for your hilarious summaries! My baby had an incident that landed us in hospital for five days and your recaps made me laugh during a time where I was terrified. Baby girl is fine; she needs a highly specialized formula and will remain open to neurology in case of any repeat episodes. 

[thoughtful]

9 hours ago, PumaLover said:

An indoor service–what a great idea at this time in history! /s

I think Gary and his crowd have gone past being offended (or pretending to be) about being asked not to gather, and are just bored with the whole thing.

This article https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/10/health/us-coronavirus-wednesday/index.html was posted on the Coronavirus thread, and, when I saw this:

Quote

North Carolina recently broke the record of the number of people hospitalized with coronavirus, according to the North Carolina Healthcare Association. The reported hospitalizations are at 774.

I couldn't help thinking of Gary, like the kid in the old Shake and Bake commercial, crowing "And ah helped!"

@Expectopatronus, glad I could keep you distracted during a terrifying time. Glad to hear your baby is going to be OK! Hope they solved the mystery completely and she has no more incidents.

[thoughtful]

Onycha Baptist was having a service while I was having a cyber-recital for some of my students.

But I'm listening now. Both Gary and the pastor keep asking Jesus to come tonight. They're really, really ready.

They sing In the Sweet Bye and Bye and When the Roll is Called Up Yonder. The pastor says he asked Gary if he had a message for tonight, and that Gary said he thought so. Pastor jokingly expresses his hopes that Gary's thoughts have "coagulated a little . . . stronger."

Pastor leads prayers (including for someone who died from Covid-19, and for the president to have strength and for God to "give him four more years, we shudder to think of the alternative" and for the "protesting and riots to settle down").

The Pastor and another man sing Constantly Abiding, a cappella, with some countermelody. They're not great, but they're much better than Gary.

All sing Shelter in the Time of Storm. The Hawkinses sing Hallelujah I'm Ready. They may be, but the song is not.

Gary actually thanks them for letting him come, but, of course, makes a big deal out of not being able to pronounce the name of the church.

Gary reminds them there are prayer cards at the back of the church, and talks about how America needs missionaries. When he first went to Maine, the preacher told him there were over 500 towns in Maine "without a bahble-believin' church."

Gary went out to stores and handed out tracts today. He said he was wrasslin' between two messages for tonight, and Becky told him she didn't have time for 16 points, so he had to take four from each.

Wait - does that mean Gary actually thinks he has a structure of delivering one coherent message through eight points for each of his sermons? Because I've never heard him come close.

2 Corinthinans 12:1-10 - Gary stumbles through, leaving out, adding, and changing words in that ever-so-sacred text.  "How that he was caught up into paradise" becomes "he was caught up into the paradise."

"Lest I should be exalted above measure" becomes "lest I should be alter above measure."

"That it might depart from me" becomes "that I might depart from me," (that would be a neat trick!).

"Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake" becomes "Therefore I take no pleasure in infirmities, in reproach, in necessarity of persecution, in distress for Christ's sake."

So, he's going to talk about not being bothered by our infirmities and pains? Nope. He's going to talk about why Heaven is a good place.

The Bible talks more about Hell than Heaven, because "Jesus di'nt want nobody to go to Hell."

He tries to quote Paul's "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain," and it comes out "For to me to live is to die, I mean for me to die is to gain, is that right? And for me to live is for Christ."

I think that's closer than the last time you tried that one, Gar.

Jimmy Robbins was Gary's favorite preacher when he was a kid. I think that's the first time I've ever heard him mention that name, despite his listing lots of "old-time" preachers whenever he speaks.

Gary talks about making a joyful noisssse to the Lord, even if you can't sing well. Fine. However, as his example, he starts talking about some young man in New York who couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, couldn't get in the right key if they typed it out for him.

Gary, check the hunk of rotten wood in your own vocal cords before you start talking about the mote in somebody else's, would ya?

"Ah'm not sure that Jesus looks at too many keys, amen?"

1 Corinthians 15:51-58. Verse 55 comes out: "O death, where is thy grave? Oh victory, where - O grave, where is thy victory?"

Gary bellows and hisses on about Heaven. "Heaven's a perfect placccccce."

He stumbles through Revelation 22:1-3, which leads him to "the menu in Heaven." Really!

Gary is excited that, in Heaven, he'll be able to eat as much as he wants and not get fat. The fruit from the trees in Heaven may taste like fried chicken or "Chahnese." He goes on and on about food.

"Ah'm jest talkin' 'bout things in Heaven we're gonna have an opportunity to."

Apropos of nothing, he makes some crack about when he and the pastor were talking to another man who got mad, so they took his gun away from him.

Gary, you're a laugh riot!

He talks about how wonderful it will be to fellowship in Heaven. He says he doesn't like family reunions, because "whenever you git there you don't know who those people are."

"Now the good part about it is if you ever, if you ever was to be standin' at a grave, and the grave came up before you left, you could go with the dead people amen - get there a whole lot quicker."

Revelation 22:5 - And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

"Come November, we will change our time zone agin, and it start gittin' dark at 5:00 - I don't like it."

Gary, that's not time zones, that's - oh, never mind. When you get to Heaven, it will be light all the time. Just cling to that.

There will be no Devil in Heaven. The devil is trying to destroy Christianity, you can tell by what's happening in our country. And he's after your teenagers. "He loves destroyin' familiessss."

Satan will "put a picture of that Budweiser on a billboard with a real. skinny. purty. woman. Amen? I told Brother Tony today, ain't no man been drunk - sober - enough to go do that with a fat woman and I'm not makin' light amen?"

Revelation 22:4 -  And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

Gary's gonna see Jesus face to fayssssss.

"Every now 'n' then, Hell has to enlarge itself."

Gary says he's heard of churches "during this time pandemic whatever ya wanna call it cayvid coven-19 coronavahris" that had to close their doors due to financial issues.

A little glimpse of your real concerns, there, Gary?

Tribble-ations are gonna come.

Listen, hey, I'm just sayin' I'mma tell ya, I gotta stop. Ya say whah? Because Gary's finished telling us the revelatory (well, a lot of it was from Revelation) news that (under a spoiler because it's such a shock):

Spoiler

he's looking forward to Heaven, because he thinks it will be good.

Spoiler

 

Edited June 11, 2020 by thoughtful
In Heaven, my grammar will always be correct.

[Dana723]

2 hours ago, thoughtful said:

 

Gary, check the hunk of rotten wood in your own vocal cords before you start talking about the mote in somebody else's, would ya?

 

All of your recaps are hilarious, but occasionally you post a sentence that is just pure gold!  ???

[Seahorse Wrangler]

7 hours ago, thoughtful said:

Satan will "put a picture of that Budweiser on a billboard with a real. skinny. purty. woman. Amen? I told Brother Tony today, ain't no man been drunk - sober - enough to go do that with a fat woman and I'm not makin' light amen?"

 

Way to dis-respect your wife, Gary.

[Xan]

Bro Gary posted a video while driving through Alabama about an hour or so ago.  I'm going to need someone else to listen to it because it sounded to me like he said "hell" just in conversation.  At around 3:57 or so, he's responding to a comment someone made about the dog.  "Life of the dog!"  It sounds like Gary says, "Life of the dog.  Hell, he stayed with ... uh, he stayed with some friends of ours..."

Oh, Bro Gary.  There you were talking about going to heaven and about how the Lord is coming back any time now and you have to just casually use "hell"?  I didn't think that was allowed.

Is Gary a closet reptobate?

[Four is Enough]

9 minutes ago, Xan said:

Is Gary a closet reptobate?

Well, how many of the Seven Deadly Sins does he commit?

Gluttony, sloth, avarice, pride, off the top of my head. I don't want to even consider lust.  Envy and wrath? Probably.

[thoughtful]

Gary was live on a drive again. Rascal is so cute, and I wish he was secured, for everyone's safety.

Spoiler

He talks about his last gig, and asks people to pray for "how do you say the name of that church?" Becky: Oh-nike-uh."

They'll be staying in Centerville, Alabama, but the "church - or the, not the, rescue mission thang, whatever it is exactly I'm not sure I'll find out more tonight" is in Clinton, Alabama.

Gary reminds us that our country's in a mess, and that it is a sign of the End Times. He starts greeting people who comment, looking at the phone more than the road, and gets this comment:

Spoiler

"The Lord's fixin' to come, we're fixin' to go to Heaven."

I know you can't wait, Gary, but how about not taking your wife, son, dog and whoever else is on the road with you.

Rascal stayed where there was another dog and a cat while they had revival, so he's exhausted.

He tells us that Becky's at level six (Becky: "Seven") with Tupperware. Gary acts dismissive of Tupperware, as always, saying he doesn't know what it's for. Becky chimes in to tell us that it makes life easier, cooking. Gary still doesn't catch on, and uses this as an opportunity to tell us that he can't cook.

What a surprise.

ETA @Xan, you are right - thanks for catching that! Gary, how many times have you told us that Hell is a place to shun. How dare you use it as a casual curse word!

I take that as a sign that your attention was too divided for you to do everything you were trying to do at once, which means you could just as easily have swerved into another lane or done some other stupid thing to endanger your family.

Edited June 11, 2020 by thoughtful

[Xan]

19 minutes ago, thoughtful said:

ETA @Xan, you are right - thanks for catching that! Gary, how many times have you told us that Hell is a place to shun. How dare you use it as a casual curse word!

I take that as a sign that your attention was too divided for you to do everything you were trying to do at once, which means you could just as easily have swerved into another lane or done some other stupid thing to endanger your family.

It made me think that he uses that word (and probably other swear words) fairly often.  Mostly, while in the pulpit, he polices himself.  But while trying to drive and talk and watch his phone, he slipped up.  Bro Gary doesn't have enough brain cells to multitask.  I'm always afraid he'll wreck and that poor dog is going to end up going through the windshield.

Edited June 11, 2020 by Xan

[AmazonGrace]

He gets to Heaven so it doesn't matter if he dies in a car wreck.

[thoughtful]

Gary preached last night, at whatever the place is - he never did tell us.

Things are a bit fancier here than in most of the churches Gary visits:

Spoiler

and someone notices in the comments:

Spoiler

Gary is already talking when the video begins. He announces the reading, but then yammers on about where they are staying - not sure if it's associated with this place, but it's a cabin on a camp meeting ground. 

He announces the reading again, asks for water, then sends Jacob out to the truck for some, and stands there waiting for it. A woman from the church finds a bottle for him, and, as she passes by, we see that she is wearing:

Spoiler

SHORTS! Gary, don't you want to preach to her about her sin?

 

Finally, John 4:19-25 - other than quoting Amazing Grace, Gary does nothing with these verses.

Luke 18:13 - Gary tells a story about a man who helped them put up the tent once, but said he hated religion. Gary said he hates religion, too.

Tadpoles know his SSN - again. Maybe it isn't a mistake - maybe he has his social security number tattooed on him somewhere, so he can remember it.

John 8:11 - hey, he actually relates what he says next to the verse - he says "this lady had to pay for her sins, because we have to reap what we sow."

And he got reap and sow in the right order - it's a miracle!

"God didn't condemn her - God just told her to go and don't do that no more."

Pure poetry, Gar.

He tells the story of the approving police officer and the pre-teen in Florida. He says that putting the tent up was hard work, in the Florida heat, especially for a "fat boy." I think Gary is really hating his body these days.

He said he had to drive to the beach because his wife needed "sand therapy."

Colossians 3:9-11 - Gary struggles reading this one, especially "Scythian."

He starts to talk about the responsibilities of "stewarts" of God, but then veers off: "Y'know if ah was gonna go to the doctor tomorrow, but I done made my mind up 'cause o' this Covid-19, ah'm afraid to go to the doctor, I'm afraid ah might get that thing, amen? Ah just stay away from it, so I don't hafta get it. Matter of fact, up north, they're still havin' to wear the masks. So, I gotta get my doctor to write me a letter, 'cause ah cain't wear one them things, it'll kill me if ah wah-ire one 'em."

"Jesus died on an old rugged cross, and sent his only begotten Son."

Full bellowing mode for some predictable stuff about being saved and how wonderful church is.

"I'm His bride, I'm His child, I'm His beloved."

1 John 4:18 - We love him, because he first loved us

You can't know love unless you love Jesus.

He tells us that Becky said (he does his "stupid person" voice to quote her - nice, Gary) "'Jesus didn't like no consoversy.' Ah said 'Hogwash!' HAYMEN!"

He has lost his train of thought, and says "where was I goin' with that?"

"Ah'm just a dirtball that Jesus Christ clayed me up, made somethin' outta me."

"Ah'm not lookin' for the undertaker, ah'm lookin' for the upper-taker."

Matthew 25:21 - His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Gary goes from this to bitching about Confederate statues being taken down. "If you don't know much about that Confederate flag, maybe you better do some study on it - it's not a racis' flag, like ever'body says."

Good and faithful servant, my ass.

He says more people on the back roads of New York and Pennsylvania have Confederate flags than they have in the South. He says if you ask them why, they say they just like bein' rebellious, they have no idea what it means.

OK, Gary.

To illustrate that being saved does not mean life will be easy, he tells the story of the family from New Mexico that died from Covid-19.

Ephesians 2:8-9 - For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

He met some Wesleyan boys who told him (stupid people voice) he could lose his salvation. "Ah told them 'shutup.'" But then he asked them to give him an example, and claims they said you'd go to Hell if you died in the middle of a bad dream.

God whups him when he disobeys.

Gary announces Luke 10:20, then starts to read Luke 1:10, then corrects himself, then reads Luke 10:20 incorrectly, ending with "written in the book of life" instead of "written in Heaven."

He hasn't thrown any stones, and if God told those people to close church and have it online or in the parking lot, they should do so. But if you're saved, you'll want to come to church. You can have church at home, but it's not like gatherin' it's not fellowshippin'. "I thank God I didn't have to miss none."

But, you know, there weren't any stones in there.

1 Peter 4:10 - As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards* of the manifold grace of God.

* (Gary says "stewarts"):

Spoiler

?   ?  ?  ?

 

Aha!

Gary starts to talk about the church giving away food, and, for a brief shining split-second, I wonder if he is going to praise them for helping others in need.

Nope - "You know what you're doin? You're probably not gainin' a whole lotta people far as comin' to church, but you're showin' people that you're different from other people."

Oh, and Jesus remembers.

Gary just wants to be a help.

 

 

[thoughtful]

Gary was live today, in front of the cabin where he is staying for free. He was as whiny and petulant and defensive as a person could be. He crammed a 16 minute video with enough tantrums and complaints to beat the pre-school, elementary school and middle school record.

Well, no wonder he was feeling cranky. He's homeless, sitting outside where the birds are singing, poor thing, and look at the horrible view he has:

Spoiler

Here's our view:

Spoiler

And, oddly enough, I'm not whiny or defensive or having a tantrum, looking at that tooth-sucking, offended face. Must be that "not saved" thing.

He says he just had a revival at "what was the name of that church?" Becky: "Onycha."

He refers to the place where he preached last night as a mission, but still doesn't tell us the name.

He warns us that what he's about to say is not going to be popular, and talks about the old days when people burned rock 'n' roll records and televisions. But now nobody preaches against sin.

"We used to raise our children to love God, we used to raise our children to read the Bible, we used to whip our children. We quit doin' all that. Public schools aren't allowed to touch your children (stupid person voice and face):

Spoiler

'If you touch my children, bless God, I'm gonna beat the snot out ya, I'll take ya to court 'n' sue ya.'"

He reminisces about a sermon by old-time preacher Carl Lackey, called "Sin in the Pot." I found it - it's Death in the Pot, Gar.

"The preachers is just as guilty as the church members."

Gary, getting more and more excited, and waving his arms around, tells us he "de-friended a guy the other day" because he was "down at the beach, 'n' you can call it beach, coast, uhuhuh whatever you wanna call it, if you don't call it certain ways 'n' if you don't go certain way, but he was down at the beach, with his family, says he's a pasture of a Baptist church, with a pair o' shorts on and a shirt off! A PREACHER!"

Well, better shorts on and shirt off than the other way around, but I guess Gary can't see it that way.

Gary gives his phone number, and tells us he wants people to call him and tell him what they'd recommend on television (yeah, like we'd take that bait). He says "we're preaching aginst CNN, we're preaching aginst Fox News, we're preaching aginst ABC."

"Everybody wants to tell me about Andy Griffin, of how good of a show Andy Griffin wasss. Well, it showed Barney and his woman fornicatin'. HAYMEN!"

What episode was that?!  

Wait, I found a better emoji:

Spoiler

Becky must have gone in to make supper, since she didn't remind him that it's Griffith, not Griffin.

As defensive as the most immature pre-teen in human history, Gary says he don't care if he gets called and revivals get dismissed.

He starts another mocking imitation, this time in a high-pitched voice, of someone who threatens to leave a church if they get preached at, then complains about "hen-pecked" preachers. So I guess now his imaginary stupid person is a woman.

Gary says nobody's gonna watch this video, but he's "noteevegohcraovrit."

That's "not even going to cry over it," in case you were wondering.

"Our country's in a mess" but it's not due to Pelosi. "Now listen, she's wicket, she's doin' wrong, but that's not the problem."

He whines about the fact that nobody took him up on his Facebook challenge to post somethin' besides news. "That's OK, I don't really care, because, uh if I challenge you somethin' we cain't do it, and that's your problem, ya wanna be stuck up that news, ya wanna, listen hey, I been tryin', I been tryin', I'm not, I'm not perfect, I will continue to fail as long as I live, but I have tried mah best to quit readin' some o' that news."

He rants against contemporary Christian music. "K-LOVE is straight outta hell."

"Who gives you the OK to go to the ocean or to the beach or wherever it is you go, who gives you the OK to go down there and dress different than you dress in church?"

He says people will start comin' into church lookin' like a bum, "with little shorts on."

Hey, Gary - they were bermuda shorts, to the knee, and that woman brought you a bottle of water. You treated her like a servant, and she's probably the source of some of the money that's feeding and housing you right now. (I know, I know, he thinks he's doing her a big favor by rebuking her in Christian love).

He gets all huffy about people getting mad over this video, and how that means they know they're going against God. "It's wroooong."

Spoiler

Gar, I only see "amen" and other agreement in your comments - who are you talking to?

"Ain't no woman, man, boy, girl, gon' see mah knees. 'Cept for mah wife."

"Man should have short hair, woman should have long hair. That's in the King James Bible. I don't care what your husband says. God said for a man to have short hair. God said for a woman to have long hair. God said for a woman to dress like a woman and a man to dress like a woman. 'At's what God said."

And, no, he doesn't catch it and correct himself - just stares at us resentfully, having proudly made his point.

I actually laughed out loud.

Men shave their heads because their wives have such short hair that at least somebody will know what they are.

He says he hasn't really been on Facebook the last 2-3 days, and hasn't missed it, because he's been reading and re-reading his Bible. Gary, go look at your Facebook account. If that's what you call not being on Facebook, what's your standard for being on Facebook - 24 hours a day?

"I mean, hey. You can bring all the things of the world into church and think God's OK with it, but He's not." Deeply sad face, and a quiet burp.

Gary you're a drama queen. Oh, excuse me - drama king.

[Ozlsn]

8 minutes ago, thoughtful said:

He rants against contemporary Christian music. "K-LOVE is straight outta hell."

Ok that made me laugh. I know various musician friends who would agree with him on that sole point.

1 hour ago, thoughtful said:

He said he had to drive to the beach because his wife needed "sand therapy."

Possibly my one piece of common ground with Becky.

11 minutes ago, thoughtful said:

"Who gives you the OK to go to the ocean or to the beach or wherever it is you go, who gives you the OK to go down there and dress different than you dress in church?"

Says the man sitting outside a cabin without a tie on. 

[thoughtful]

Gary, if you mean "contact," rather then "contract," it's the first thing that comes up in a Google search of those names, complete with phone number.

 

Oh, and my mother finally got her kosher weens today!

?   ?

11 minutes ago, Ozlsn said:

2 hours ago, thoughtful said:

He said he had to drive to the beach because his wife needed "sand therapy."

Possibly my one piece of common ground with Becky.

Mine, too. And Gary, of course, said it like it was a silly idea, and he was a such a good husband to indulge her.

This is the top of Becky's Facebook page:

That woman loves the ocean.

 

[AmazonGrace]

Quote

Gary goes from this to bitching about Confederate statues being taken down. "If you don't know much about that Confederate flag, maybe you better do some study on it - it's not a racis' flag, like ever'body says."

Thank you, Gary, for once again confirming that you're a disgusting bigoted squirt.

I would hate to lose sight of that.

[Four is Enough]

I'd like to see a side by side picture of David Rodruiges and Gary. Methinks Gary is rounder, but David is taller. Still, the combined avoirdupois would be considerable.

[thoughtful]

So now we know where Gary is (although he got the name wrong, of course).

https://www.facebook.com/throughthegraceofgodministries

And, after his sermon and Facebook rant, they want 11 more days, under a tent, in Alabama, in June. Gluttons for chastisement, those folks.

I wonder if Gary has eleven sermons in him. I wonder if the woman in shorts will wear a skirt. I wonder if all of the women will feel convicted to grow their hair long. I wonder if anyone will catch Coven-19.

Stay tuned, folks.

[wallysmommy]

If ignorance came packaged, Gary would have a barcode the size of Montana.  

[Mar]

12 hours ago, thoughtful said:

Well, no wonder he was feeling cranky. He's homeless, sitting outside where the birds are singing, poor thing, and look at the horrible view he has:

  Hide contents

Here's our view:

  Hide contents

 

I would very much prefer his view to our view!

 

12 hours ago, thoughtful said:

"Ain't no woman, man, boy, girl, gon' see mah knees. 'Cept for mah wife."

Thank god for that. 
 

(I wouldn’t be this mean if this wasn’t Bro Gary we’re talking about.)

[thoughtful]

Through the Grace of God Ministry did a full video of the Thursday night service.

The feed was terrible, so it's full of gaps, but we can see that people are somewhat distant, but no masks, and the pastor goes around and shakes everyone's hands.

People mostly seemed to be dressed casually. I see only one woman with short hair.

The "specials" were a pretty good gospel pianist (the singing was very nasal and country, but not horrible), and . . . The Hawkins family.

There was a Friday evening service. The church's gospel pianist/singer preceded the Hawkinses singing again. That had to be a hard act for Becky and Jacob to follow. Gary, I imagine, thought his musicianship was far superior.

Then someone (the pianist/singer? I don't know, because she can't be seen) sings with recorded, very Country-sounding music - When Jesus Passes By and a belted-out (I mean, Liza Minelli, Patti Lupone, Elaine Strich, Here's to the Ladies Who Lunch belted!) version of His LIfe for Mine.

When told "that was beautiful" she pipes a demure, soprano "Thank you." I think she may be the shorts-wearing water-bearer, but she's only on camera for a split-second, so it's hard to tell.

The pastor starts out quietly - when he says he appreciates the Hawkins family being with them again tonight, we hear a woman's voice saying "My, my!" I have no idea how she meant it, but it struck me funny - sounded like she was shocked that anyone would appreciate them staying another day.

Maybe she has short hair.

The pastor goes IMMEDIATELY to bellow mode and stays there for a long time. His shouting is louder than Gary's. It's hard to hear what his points are because the video is broken up, but it sounds like he was mocking people who were wearing masks at his doctor's office, he can't wait to get to Heaven, and  says "I know that I know that I know that I'm saved."

Sounds like Gary's kind o' guy (if only he'd disclipline those women in his church, and dress up a little more):

Spoiler

After a fiery sermon, he deflates right back to normal, like a frog, and calmly goes to sit down while there is one more song with recorded music.

Edited June 13, 2020 by thoughtful
I got the name of the ministry wrong - guess that's what I get for mocking Gary for doing the same (although, they're not lodging, feeding and applauding me, so maybe it's not quite as rude when I do it).

[Ozlsn]

7 hours ago, Four is Enough said:

I'd like to see a side by side picture of David Rodruiges and Gary. Methinks Gary is rounder, but David is taller. Still, the combined avoirdupois would be considerable.

Both of them are at higher risk from covid-19 because of it, and both continually put themselves at risk of catching it and spreading it before they get sick.

But it's OK because they're sure they're saved. 

6 minutes ago, thoughtful said:

it sounds like he was mocking people who were wearing masks at his doctor's office, he can't wait to get to Heaven,

These people annoy me so much. OK, you want to die, we get that. But the healthcare worker with young kids doesn't, the cancer patient trying desperately to live to see their first grandchild doesn't, the cashier caring for a disabled sibling doesn't. Stop being an arsehole and have some care for the community, sheesh. 

Also make sure you sign the DNR so they don't waste precious resources trying to save you.