So, I am talking to a long time friend, you know, the non-judgmental type that doesn't really mind that I don't go to many meetings and am never out in service. He tells me that the annual meeting is coming up and that the whole congregation is invited...well, at least the active "approved" whole congregation. He speaks with an excitement that puzzles me, like he just got invited to the locker room of his favorite football team when they won the superbowl. Our conversation goes something like this...
"It's gonna be exciting SOP!"
"Yeah, why's that?"
"Cause this is the first time that "everyone" is being included!"
"Everyone except for inactive people, right?" (he disregards the comment, knowing I will make it a "point.")
"I mean, something special must be happening for them to include everybody."
"Yeah, like what?"
"I don't know...something that ALL of us should know about. I mean, maybe there's something happening behind the scenes that we don't know about...like the beginning of the great tribulation or something."
"Or," I pause, "maybe they just want as many people there as possible so they can explain how much it will cost to build the new Warwick center and the fact that everyone should help support it financially. You know, contribute."
"Yeah, but if they wanted to encourage people to contribute, they could just do that in an article."
"who reads the articles?," I say.
"Yeah, right?," he says, stifling a laugh.
SOP