Sunday

Well Nabal 'preached' his first sermon today... and he admonished those in absence because they were not in the house of God, but watching the Gold Cup. WOW, pot, kettle, black... So after he got home he had his bottle of Bud Light (he's worried about his ever expanding middle) When he finished that and before he moved on to the next small Corona he says to me, "I think I'm going to give up the church." "Why?" I ask. His reply, "It's too hard."

Then towards the end of the Corona he was drunk enough to question me about his changing phone numbers. Now, he's tried to convince me that it belongs to someone else... I have seen recent text to that number- or what he thought was that number. He does not know that. My secret. Heck, he's the one with the mistress! You know, there is truth in the saying that lying is harder than telling the truth. He was talking all over himself, he'd forgotten the story he told last time. That's ok, I won't change it again- notepad tells on him every time. And I have bigger things to worry about. Is my house really full of unclean spirits, or is my boy about to crack? Either way, Nabal can go pound nails or whoever is at the end of 825-6728 for all I care. God sees all anyway, and He is my refuge, redeemer and avenger. Lord willing, another year or less...

Let's not forget that all this is within a timeframe of 4 1/2 hours from pulpit to drunken adulterer.

Last week Nabal wondered why the church would not grow. He blamed everything under the sun, but he never questioned his own ways. How, yes he invites young men to church, but then either gets drunk with them or around them. And when he's drunk he gets out his phone and talks to the girls. The next Sunday these men never return. I don't have to wonder why. He worked with a young man who goes to church and offered him beer. When the young man declined Nabal asked whether he drank. When the young man said "No." Nabal laughed at him as if to say what kind of real man doesn't drink. I know this because our boy saw it all.

Isaiah 5 (in no particular order):

Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine
and champions at mixing drinks.

Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter.

Woe to those who rise early in the morning
to run after their drinks,
who stay up late at night
till they are inflamed with wine.

Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit,
and wickedness as with cart ropes,

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
and clever in their own sight.